The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is encouraging businesses in 2014 to focus more on their legal responsibilities to make sure that lives are not put at risk and that the safety of workers is made a priority.
Statistics published in 2013 indicated that overall, workplace fatalities and major injuries in Great Britain were decreasing. There were 171 fewer deaths at work in 2012/2013 than 2011/2012, and 2,387 fewer major injuries. However, improvements must be made if workplace fatalities and injuries are to be stopped.
Steve Smith, HSE Head of Operations for the North East, which was a region that saw a decrease in both workplace deaths and major injuries, said, "The families of those workers in the North East who lost their lives last year had to face Christmas without them and hundreds of other workers have had their lives changed forever by a major injury. Whilst the number of workplace deaths and major injuries has decreased nationally, these statistics highlight why we still need good health and safety in workplaces. I therefore urge employers to spend their time tackling the real dangers that workers face and stop worrying about trivial matters or pointless paperwork."
Mr Smith also sent out a clear message for employers, "It’s important to remember that while we still have one of the lowest rates of workplace deaths in Europe, one death is still one too many. I would urge businesses to focus on helping to cut the number of deaths further in 2014."
