Health and Safety Statistics 2008/09
The latest national statistics on work-related illness and injury in Great Britain, produced by the Health and Safety Executive, have just been released.
Key facts for 2008/09 are:
Ill Health
– 1.2 million people who worked during the last year were suffering from an illness (long-standing as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work.
– 551,000 of these were new cases.
– 2,156 people died of Mesothelioma (2007), and thousands more from other occupational cancers and lung diseases.
Injuries
– 180 workers were killed at work.
– 104,301 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR.
– 246,000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
Working Days Lost
– 29.3 million days were lost overall (1.4 days per worker), 24.6 million due to work-related ill health and 4.7 million due to workplace injury.
Health and Safety Targets: progress to 2008/09
– Ill health: probably not on track to meet Revitalising target.
– Fatal and major injuries: on track to meet Revitalising target.
– Days lost per worker: probably on track to meet Revitalising target.
Enforcement
– 1,245 offences were prosecuted by HSE and ORR.
– 329 offences were prosecuted by local authorities.
Slips, Trips and Falls
A total of 61 people died and more than 14,000 suffered serious injury as a result of a slip, trip or fall from height in British workplaces last year. As a result the HSE launched the Shattered Lives (an awareness raising) campaign from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to highlight the devastating consequences of slips, trips and falls in the workplace and to encourage employers, in consultation with their employees, to take action. Marcia Davies, HSE Head of the Injury Reduction Programme said People often view slips, trips and falls as trivial incidents, even comical but they are no joke to those who suffer major injuries, a lifetime of disability, time off work and in the worst cases death. We want to raise awareness of how these incidents can happen and how they can be easily avoided by taking common sense actions and precautions at no or little cost. If you spot a hazard in your workplace deal with it, dont assume that somebody else will. Simple measures introduced by businesses can make a positive difference to safety in the workplace.
Fatalities and serious injuries arising from slips, trips and fall incidents cost British society an estimated £700 million last year.
The campaign is targeted at seven sectors where there is a prevalence of such injuries: food retail, catering and hospitality, food and drink manufacturing, building and plant maintenance, construction, healthcare and education, although the risks can occur in any workplace.
To help businesses take preventive action the HSE launched STEP – an interactive learning package that provides practical guidance to help users tackle slips, trips and falls in their workplace. The tool is free and can be accessed online at www.hse.gov.uk/slips/step/index.htm.
In the ten year period April 1998 to March 2008 nearly 89,000 workers in the food and drink industries suffered an injury reportable to HSE and there were 37 fatal injuries (excluding contractors). The combined injury rate for food and drink industries is among the highest of manufacturing injury rates.. Indeed the overall injury rate is 1.6 times the average for manufacturing industries generally and also 1.6 times that of the construction industry. However injury rates vary considerably between the different food and drink sectors.
Psychosocial Working Conditions in Britain, 2009 Report
This recently published report shows that the survey results from 2004 to 2009 indicate that psychosocial working conditions have not generally changed over this period to any great extent, although Managerial Support and Change show an improvement.
In the 2007 report it appeared that an improvement in population level working conditions may be emerging, however the 2008 and 2009 results do not show a continuation of that trend.
There is no longer a downward trend in the number of employees reporting that their job is very or extremely stressful and little change in the number of employees aware of stress initiatives in their workplace or reporting discussions about stress with their line managers.
The predicted improvement in working conditions as a result of HSEs roll-out of the Management Standards for work-related stress has not materialised as yet, and the number of workers reporting that their job is highly stressful is no longer steadily decreasing. The lack of impact to date of the Management Standards could reflect the long latency between organisations first implementing the process and benefits being realised. Equally, with so many other economic and social factors affecting worker perceptions of their working conditions, any effect may be masked.
Risk Assessment Information
The HSE website address below will take you to a useful section on risk assessment.
I would particularly recommend looking at the free downloadable example risk assessments to see how risk assessments can be completed. The level of detail now required is not as onerous as previously although the HSE still stress that the higher the risk the more information should be recorded on the risk assessment.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm?ebul=hsegen/26-oct-2009&cr=7
First Aid at Work Requirements
Attached to this newsletter is a useful question and answer produced by the HSE.
From October 2009 an Appointed Person no longer has to be formally trained although it is recommended that they can attend the newly renamed Emergency First Aid at Work, EFAW, course. The EFAW course is shorter then the full First Aid at Work, FAW course. Anyone attending this EFAW course can be called a First Aider but they are only taught basic emergency first aid techniques so it is not intended that this certificate replaces the fully qualified FAW course. Both training are statutory courses and the requalification requirements remain as before. The other change is that it is recommended that First Aiders attend annual refresher courses run by local training providers.
I would also draw your attention particularly to the checklist for the assessment of first aid needs which is very helpful in determining your first aid requirements.
