The HSE has released its 2010/11 fatal injury statistics. These show that 171 people were killed at work during this period. This figure is less than the average for the past 5 years of 205 but is higher than the 2009/10 figure of 147.
The highest proportion of these fatal accidents was in the construction industry, followed by the services sector.
Earlier this year, a construction company was fined after a foreman was killed when an excavator bucket filled with concrete fell on him. The company was found to have failed to plan, manage and monitor the construction site.
A HSE spokesperson said, “This tragic incident was entirely preventable. There had already been a significant number of incidents involving buckets becoming detached from quick hitches.’
The safety pin in the quick hitch should have been used by the operator and the bucket should not have been manoeuvred across people on the site.
This was just one of many work accidents across the UK. It is not just fatal work accidents that leave devastated families. Work accidents can leave workers seriously injured and unable to work. Workers may need to take time off work and accidents may have psychological effects, such as depression and stress.
A TUC survey, conducted every two years, indicates health and safety concerns among safety reps in UK workplaces. The 2010 survey had some interesting results; 62% of reps said that stress was one of the top five health and safety problems in the workplace and 27% said that it was the hazard that concerned them the most. The survey indicates that the problem of stress is more pronounced in the public sector – around 68% of public sector union reps said that stress was a problem, compared to 54% of private sector reps. Also, 70% of reps in London said that stress was a problem – more than any other area of the UK and stress was more likely to be a problem in larger workplaces.
Bullying and harassment were cited as the second most common workplace concern. Around 37% of reps listed it as one of their top five concerns. In the 2008 survey, only 20% of reps listed it, indicating that the proportion of reps concerned has nearly doubled. Again, the problem is more pronounced in the public sector, in larger workplaces and in London.
The third most common concern was back strains, with 33% of reps citing this as a concern, a similar level to the results of the 2008 survey. Slips, trips and falls followed as a close fourth, with 32% of reps listing it as a concern (again, a similar level to the 2008 survey).
Overwork was a new category in the 2010 survey and ranked fifth as a concern.
Asbestos in the workplace has increased as a workplace concern with 9% of reps listing this as a concern, perhaps because of increased awareness of the dangers of asbestos.
Display screen equipment and repetitive strain injuries pose less of a concern in 2010 than in 2008, perhaps indicating that awareness in these areas to prevent injuries is working. There is also less concern regarding psychosocial hazards like working alone and violence and threats, perhaps indicating that workplaces are doing more to minimise these hazards.
Government cuts and redundancies across many organisations are likely to increase stress among workers. Brendan Barber of the TUC has said, ‘Unions and employers must work together to combat stress at work as it can have a devastating impact on workers and a damaging cost on businesses.’
Both psychological work issues, such as stress, and workplace accidents are major issues in UK workplaces. Employers have a responsibility to take steps in the workplace to protect workers. This involves thorough risk assessment and implementing safe working practices to minimise potential hazards.
The hazard of slips, trips and falls can be minimised by making sure there is no loose flooring or cables which could prove a trip hazard and that any spillages are cleaned up quickly.
Back injuries can be minimised by making sure any workers that do heavy lifting have had sufficient training.
Stress and bullying can be minimised through management structures and maintaining happy working environments.
If you have been injured in an accident at work which could have been prevented by more careful workplace management by your employer, contact a solicitor with expertise in work accidents, such as Macks Solicitors. They will be able to discuss the possibility of making a claim for compensation and guide you through the process and what’s involved. A successful claim for compensation will need evidence to back it up. This could include medical evidence from your doctor about any injuries you have incurred or any psychological effects, such as stress or depression. Putting together a written statement soon after the accident about the exact circumstances will help keep the details fresh in your mind and this will be very useful in putting a case together. If there have been other complaints at your workplace regarding safety, this may also be useful.
