HSE releases statistics for 2010/2011

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning about workplace injuries after the number of fatalities at work rose in Britain in 2010/2011. Their warning urges employers to make safety a priority this year and reminds them of their legal responsibility with regard to safety.

The following are examples of some of the statistics regarding workplace health and safety in 2010/2011:

• two people died and 530 suffered major injuries in Tyne and Wear;
• 17 people died and 2,480 suffered major injuries in Greater London;
• 11 people died and 1,399 suffered major injuries in Wales;
• 25 people died and 2,987 suffered major injuries in the North West;
• 16 people died and 2,088 suffered major injuries in the East Midlands;
• 15 people died and 2,645 suffered major injuries in Scotland;
• four people died and almost 900 suffered major injuries in Birmingham and the Black Country;
• one person died and 205 suffered major injuries in Cornwall; and
• 24 people died and more than 2,600 suffered major injuries in Yorkshire and the Humber.

In total, 171 people lost their lives at work last year and more than 24,700 workers suffered serious injuries. This is quite an increase from 2009/10, which saw 147 deaths. The HSE state that the current statistics show that on average six in every million workers were killed between April 2010 and March 2011.

Construction was, in particular, one of the most dangerous industries, with 50 deaths, whilst the agricultural sector saw 34 deaths and there were nine deaths in the waste and recycling sector. The HSE explain that these three employment sectors account for over half of the workplace deaths in Britain in 2010/2011.

For further information on the statistics, go to http://cedr.ec/1w.