Has Health and Safety really gone mad?

Has health and safety really gone mad?

Latest statistics suggest we need better health and safety, not less.

Ill health

In 2009/10 an estimated 1.3 million people, who worked in the last twelve months suffered from ill health which they thought was work related*
Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common type of work-related illness but mental ill health gives rise to more working days lost
Figures for the last three years show that a yearly average of around 6000 cases were assessed for industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB). The largest categories were vibration white finger, carpal tunnel syndrome and respiratory diseases associated with past exposures to substances such as asbestos and coal dust. The largest number of assessments in 2009 concerned arthritis of the knee in miners (added to the prescribed diseases list in July 2009)
The annual number of work related cancer deaths is likely to be more than 8000
About 4000 cancer deaths each year are due to past exposure to asbestos
In 2008 there were 117 deaths from asbestosis (as underlying cause), and 147 from other types of pneumoconiosis, mostly due to coal dust and silica
Around 15% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD – including bronchitis and emphysema) may be work related. This suggests there could be some 4000 COPD deaths each year due to past occupational exposures to fumes, chemicals and dusts
The annual number of mesothelioma deaths has increased from 153, in 1968, to 2249, in 2008

Deaths and injury

330 people have died in the workplace over the last two years
121,430 employees were injured in 2009/10 **
There were 26 061 major injuries to employees reported in 2009/10. Over 40% were caused by slipping or tripping
There were 95 369 other injuries to employees causing absence from work of more than 3 days. 36% were caused by handling, lifting or carrying, and just under a quarter due to slipping or tripping
Deaths in the workplace – 2008/09
Agriculture: 38 (8 deaths per 100 000 workers)
Construction: 42 (2.2 deaths per 100 000 workers)
Manufacturing: 25 (0.9 deaths per 100 000 workers)
Services: 41 (0.2 deaths per 100 000 workers)


Working days lost

28.5 million working days were lost in 2009/10, 23.4 million due to work-related ill health and 5.1 million due to workplace injury

Key
*Labour Force Survey (LFS)

** Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

All other statistics provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
For common sense and practical Health & Safety in Dartford contact SEE Improvements.