Annual workplace fatality statistics published

The long term trend has seen the rate of fatalities more than halve over the last 20 years. However, provisional figures indicate that 144 people were killed while at work in 2015/2016 – up from 142 in 2014/5.

The Health and Safety Executive has called on all sectors to learn lessons to ensure workers return home safe from work.

Martin Temple, HSE Chair said:

“One death at work or life needlessly shortened, is one too many and behind every statistic lies a real story of loss and heartbreak and families left to grieve.

“Britain has one of the best health and safety systems in the world, but we should always be looking to improve and to prevent incidents that cost lives.

“This year HSE travelled the country asking industry representatives, employers, unions, workers and others what they could do to help GB work well. The response was hugely encouraging and I would like to ask people to deliver on the commitments made, that will help keep Britain’s workers alive.”

The new figures show the rate of fatal injuries in key industrial sectors:

·         Forty three workers died in construction, the same as the average for the previous five years.

·         In agriculture there were 27 deaths (compared to the five-year average of 32).

·         In manufacturing there were 27 deaths (compared to five-year average 22), but this figure includes three incidents that resulted in a total of eight deaths.

·         There were six fatal injuries to workers in waste and recycling, compared to the five-year average of seven, but subject to considerable yearly fluctuation.

·         There were also 103 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to work in 2015/16, of which 36 (35 percent) related to incidents occurring on railways.

Comparisons of fatal injuries by country or region are based on where the accident occurred. After taking industrial composition into account, those regions and countries with seemingly higher rates are not (statistically) different to the rest of GB. In 2015/16 the highest fatal injury rates across all countries and regions were Wales (0.93 per 100,000 workers); Scotland (0.60); and Yorkshire and the Humber (0.58). Due to the relatively small numbers and to reduce some of the yearly fluctuation, when averaged across a five-year time period to 2014/15 those regions with the highest fatal injury rates were also Wales (0.81), Scotland (0.73) and Yorkshire and the Humber (0.70).

The statistics again confirm the UK to be one of the safest places to work in Europe, having one of the lowest rates of fatal injuries to workers in leading industrial nations.

HSE has also released the latest available figures on deaths from asbestos-related cancer. Mesothelioma, one of the few work related diseases where deaths can be counted directly, contracted through past exposure to asbestos killed 2,515 in Great Britain in 2014 compared to 2,556 in 2013.

A more detailed assessment of the data will be provided as part of the annual Health and Safety Statistics release in early November.

Further information on these statistics can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm

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Steel giants Tata fined almost £2 million

Tata Steel has been fined £1.98 million after two workers at its Corby plant suffered serious hand injuries.

A 26-year-old employee lost two-thirds of his left hand, and his middle and ring fingers, while trying to clear a blockage on a steel tube manufacturing line with unsuitable guarding, Northampton Crown Court heard. In a separate incident, a 52-year-old team leader lost part of his little finger after his left hand was caught during refresher training, again in an inadequately guarded machine.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that inappropriate steps were taken to guard users from dangerous parts of the machinery involved in the incidents, which happened in September 2014 and February 2015 respectively.

Mark Austin, an inspector at the HSE, said: “Guarding of dangerous parts of machinery is a fundamental of ensuring workers’ safety. HSE will not hesitate to hold those accountable who do not fulfil their legal obligations, especially if that results in someone receiving life-changing injuries.”

Tata UK Limited pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined a total of £1.98 million (£185,000 for the first incident, plus £1.8m for the second) and ordered to pay costs totaling £22,500.

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A construction company has been fined over half a million pounds for the corporate manslaughter of two men who died after falling into a building site it operated

Monavon Construction pleaded guilty to the corporate manslaughter of Gavin Brewer, 32, and Stuart Meads, 34, at the Old Bailey on Monday, 9 May.

Sentencing took place at the Old Bailey on Monday, 27 June.

The company also pleaded guilty to an offence under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, namely the failure to discharge duty to a non-employee.

Monavon Construction were responsible for a building site in Netley Street at the junction with Hampstead Road, NW1. Work had been ongoing at the site for approximately three years and construction was nearing its conclusion.

Part of the site bordered Netley Street and plywood hoardings had been put in place there which covered the pavement. On 14 October 2013 work began to change the hoarding so the pavement could be reinstated. On Friday, 18 October this work had been completed leaving the hoardings, measuring approximately 4ft in height, fixed by wooden struts to a wall behind which measured between 130mm to 280mm in height.

Behind this wall was a drop of approximately 12ft down into a basement area.

Gavin Brewer and Stuart Meads were walking in Netley Street, NW1 in the early hours of Saturday, 19 October 2013. Gavin and Stuart were arguing and scuffling with one another. As the pair walked past the building site they made contact with the hoarding which gave way, sending both men falling into the basement area.

Both Gavin and Stuart were pronounced dead at the scene following their fall.

The Metropolitan Police launched a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive. This investigation found that the hoardings had been fixed in such a way that only negligible force would have been required to make them give way.

Monavon was fined £250,000 each for the deaths of Gavin Brewer and Stuart Meads as well as £50,000 for heath and safety breached. They were also ordered to pay £23,653 prosecution costs.

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