Partner Article

North East a safe place to work

FEWER people across the North East are being seriously or fatally injured at work, according to figures released by the Health and Safety Executive.

There were 1,219 serious workplace injuries recorded in the region last year compared to 1,382 in 2008/9 and three deaths − six fewer than the previous year.

The number of people suffering from work-related illnesses in 2009/10 remained the same as last year, at 55,000.

Chris Gillies, Principal Inspector for HSE in the North East, said: “This is once again a step in the right direction, but these figures show that there are still numerous cases where the health and safety of workers is still not being taken seriously.

“Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees. Serious health and safety risks need to be considered at the very heart of business and not seen as an add-on, tick-box exercise or an unnecessary burden.

“Last year in the North East, HSE secured 28 convictions for breaches of health and safety law by companies and individuals. We will continue to target those who fail to meet the standards that the law requires and employees have a right to expect.”

Across England, Scotland and Wales, 28.5 million working days (equivalent to 1.2 days per worker) were lost to injury and ill health last year – compared with 29.3 million in 2008/09.

In the North East an estimated 1.4 million working days (equivalent to 1.5 days per worker) were lost to injury and ill health last year.

Workplace fatal injuries fell from 179 in 2008/09 to a record low of 152 in 2009/10, and there was a reduction of more than 11,000 in the number of workplace injuries classified as serious or incurring more than three days absence from work.

Comparison with international data still shows Britain to be one of the safest places to work in the EU.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .