According to a new report, over 5,000 lives have been saved in the 32 years since the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 came into force. The estimate comes from a Health and Safety Commission (HSC) performance report which details the range of work it has overseen during the past year to reduce work-related fatalities, injuries and illness. The "Measuring Up...Performance Report 2006" also gives a summary of the activities, initiatives and campaigns carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities.
Announcing the publication of the report, HSC Chairman Bill Callaghan, said "As a society, we have come a long way since 1974 when the current health and safety law was introduced and 600 people were regularly killed at work each year. Our most recent fatal injury statistics show that the number has reached a record low of 212, this is encouraging, but we still need to do more. The changing economy and increasing number of migrant workers are key challenges."
As well as providing examples of the various initiatives, campaigns and strategies that have been implemented in recent years to improve health and safety at work, the 19 page document also features information on the HSE's work on regulating major hazards. In particular, it covers the on-going work into the Buncefield incident and the HSE's contribution to the energy review.
The report can be found on the HSE website, www.hse.gov.uk.
