Health and safety in 2015: the stats so far

Posted on 31st Aug, 2015 | By Lorretta Tatham

Browns Ladders, along with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and a large number of other companies, have been actively working to reduce the numbers of workplace accidents in the UK. Through guidance, health and safety advice, and training courses, there’s been a real move to make the UK a safer place to work and ensure every tradesperson is well informed.

In fact, statistics show that the rate of fatalities is now more than half of that it was 20 years ago – making the UK one of the safest places to work in Europe.

Fatal injuries in the workplace

Between March 2014 and April 2015 a total of 142 workers were fatally injured. Broadly similar to the stats from the previous period, this is one area that still needs to be improved upon. Common causes of fatal injuries in the workplace include slips, trips and falls from a height, along with exposure to hazardous materials and dangerous equipment.

The following Browns Ladders courses can help protect against these accidents, by ensuring those in the workplace are better informed:

• Abrasive Wheels Training Course
• Work at Height Training Course
• Ladders, Steps & Scaffold Towers Training Course

Another interesting statistic looked at the number and rate of fatal injuries by country and region. While the North East had the least number of fatally injured workers between 2014 and 2015, with just one fatal injury recorded, the North West had the largest number – with 20 fatal injuries recorded. Other regions with relatively high fatal injury numbers of 15 persons or above included the South West and Yorkshire and The Humber.

While the construction industry has always had the worst reputation when it comes to fatalities, during this period they actually saw their numbers drop. Between 2013 and 2014 44 individuals suffered a fatal injury, while between March 2014 and April 2015 only 35 in the construction injury became victim. The numbers in other industries, such as waste and recycling, and agriculture, remained broadly the same. In these industries, it’s things like exposure to hazardous substances and machinery that cause real risks.

A move to improve asbestos awareness

One area that really needs more awareness is the dangers of asbestos – an issue we recently plugged on the blog. While mesothelioma caused the death of 2,312 workers in 2011, 2,538 workers died from an asbestos-related death in 2013 – the latest year we have figures available for. This year, there’s been a major drive to raise awareness of asbestos in the workplace, so we expect numbers to reduce in the next period.

While, overall, these numbers do map to the trend of slow improvement, the health and safety drive is more important than ever. The HSE, along with companies like Browns Ladders, are keen to drive these numbers down and hope to see improvements in the next batch of statistics released in October.

To keep safe in your workplace, take some time out to read our top health and safety advice on our blog. You can also book onto one of our top training courses to refresh your knowledge. To find out more, give us a call on 01282 615517

What health and safety training courses are going to be your priority over the next few months? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @Browns Ladders