Number of offences prosecuted increases but government targets unlikely to be met, according to new statistics from the UK's Health and Safety Commission

Last year over 140,000 reported workplace accidents took place resulting in employees suffering injuries such as amputations, chemical burns and fractures, according to new statistics from the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) released today.

Geoffrey Podger, chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said: "The statistics indicate that last year alone in Great Britain 2.2m people suffered from work related illnesses and 241 people were killed at work. While workplace injuries have reduced, we lost 30m working days due to ill-health. Last year HSE issued 20% more notices and industry was fined total of over £ 13m for flaunting health and safety laws."

Responding to the newly released figures HSC Chair Judith Hackitt said: "Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees and visible leadership from the top of the organisation can truly influence the health and safety culture in our changing work environments. To make workplaces in 21st century Britain healthier and safer we all need to work together to do better.”

“Last year HSE issued 20% more notices and industry was fined total of over 13m pounds for flaunting health and safety laws.

Geoffrey Podger, chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Health and Safety Statistics 2006/07 presents the top-level statistics. The publication also includes latest statistics on health and safety enforcement activity.

Government targets to reduce work-related ill health in the United Kingdom are unlikely to be met, said the Commission.

According to the HSC/E, the key facts for 2006/07 are:

ILL HEALTH

2.2 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work.

646, 000 of these were new cases in the last 12 months, equating to 2100 per 100 000 people employed in the last 12 months.

2037 people died of mesothelioma in 2005 (latest data), and thousands more from other occupational cancers and lung diseases.

INJURIES

241 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.8 per 100 000 workers.

141 350 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 535.1 per 100 000 employees.

274 000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a rate of 1000 per 100 000 workers.

WORKING DAYS LOST

36 million days were lost overall (1.5 days per worker), 30 million due to work-related ill health and 6 million due to workplace injury.

HEALTH AND SAFETY TARGETS: progress to 2006/07

The incidence rate of self-reported work-related ill health from the Labour Force Survey rose suddenly between 2005/06 and 2006/07. The rate in 2006/07 is similar to that in 2001/02 despite earlier indications of a downward trend from 2001/02 to 2005/06.

Our judgment is that we are not on track to meet the Revitalising or PSA ill-health targets.

The rate of employee major injury reported under RIDDOR, that dominates the injury target, shows a fall within the range of 7% to 11%, between 1999/2000 and 2006/07. This is against a pro-rata Revitalising target for 2006/07 of a 7% reduction.

Our judgment is that we are on track to meet
Revitalising and PSA fatal and major injuries targets.

The number of working days lost per worker from the 2006/07 Labour Force Survey is similar to that in 2003/04 despite earlier indications of a downward trend from 2000-02 to 2005/06. Since 2000-02 working days lost per worker has fallen by 12% within a possible range of 2% to 23%.The pro rata Revitalising target reduction of 21% for 2006/07 falls close to the top end of this range.

Our judgment is that we are not on track to meet Revitalising or PSA days lost targets.

ENFORCEMENT

1141 offences were prosecuted by HSE.

257 offences were prosecuted by local authorities in 2005/06 (latest data).

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