HSE have released the most recent statistics for Health and Safety in the workplace. Published today the statistics show there is still plenty of work to be done in terms of health and safety in the workplace.
Here’s what the statistics have highlighted:
• 1.2 million working people suffering from a work-related illness.
• 2535 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2012).
• 133 workers killed at work.
• 78 000 other injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR.
• 629 000 injuries at work from the Labour Force Survey.
• 28.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury.
• £14.2 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2012/13).
HSE have tweeted the human cost of poor health and safety stating that 133 workers have still been fatally injured within 2013/14. However, it is worthwhile to point out that this number is 19% lower than the average for the past five years, so some progress has been made.
What next for Health and Safety at work?
With the close of HSE safer sites project soon approaching we are sure that they shall launch a new initiative to improve health and safety in the near future. In the meantime there are still a number of things which we can do in the workplace to continue HSE’s good work.
By working together employers and employees can reduce the number of instances where health and safety practises are broken, or where they are not in place at all. Tasks such as reviewing health and safety procedures, looking at safe pedestrian walkways and warehouse vehicle traffic; or checking safety equipment such as safety barriers or PPE should not be left for a rainy day.
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest HSE news and publications and with our health and safety top tips.
References
View the Health and Safety Statistics published today by the HSE here.
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0.