H E A L T H & S A F E T Y
d r ai n T R A D E R
I n d u st r y m e a s u r e s t o r e d u c e w o r k pl a c e f at aliti e s i n t h e U K
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n 2 0 1 8/ 1 9, 1 4 7 w or k pl a c e d e at h s i n Gr e at Brit ai n w er e r e p ort e d t o e nf or ci n g
a ut h oriti e s. T hi s st ati sti c hi g hli g ht s t h at m or e m u st b e d o n e b y b ot h g o v er ni n g b o di e s a n d c o m p a ni e s ar o u n d t h e U K i n or d er t o pr e v e nt f at al a c ci d e nt s wit hi n t h e w or k pl a c e.
I n t his arti cl e, w e t a k e a cl os er l o o k at w h at ar e t h e m aj or c a us es of d e at h i n t h e w or k pl a c e, w hilst als o hi g hli g hti n g s o m e of t h e w a ys i n w hi c h t h e i n d ustr y c a n l o w er t h e ris k of s eri o us i nj uri es a n d d e at h at w or k.
W h a t A r e t h e M o st C o m m o n C a u s e s of F a t al A c ci d e nt s i n T h e W o r k pl a c e ?
St atisti c all y, w h at is t h e l e a di n g c a us e of a f at al a c ci d e nt at w or k?
• F all fr o m H ei g ht. 4 0 % • Str u c k b y a m o vi n g v e hi cl e. 3 0 % • Str u c k b y m o vi n g o bj e ct. 1 6 % • C o nt a ct wit h m o vi n g m a c hi n er y. 1 4 %
• Tr a p p e d b y s o m et hi n g c oll a psi n g/ o v ert ur ni n g. 1 1 %
L ast y e ar, f alls fr o m h ei g ht w er e t h e si n gl e l ar g est f a ct or f or f at aliti es i n t h e w or k pl a c e.
Br o k e n d o w n b y i n d ustr y s e ct or 2 1. 8 % of d e at hs w er e i n t h e a gri c ult ur e, f or estr y, a n d fis hi n g i n d ustri es, 2 0. 4 % i n c o nstr u cti o n a n d 1 7. 7 % i n m a n uf a ct uri n g. W hilst H S E w or k pl a c e f at alit y fi g ur es ar e n ot o ffi ci all y c o n fir m e d u ntil J ul y 2 0 2 0, t h e H S E a d vis es t h at ‘c o m p a ni es s h o ul d c o nsi d er t h e pr e v e nti o n of t h es e t y p es of d e at h t o b e a h e alt h a n d s af et y pri orit y’.
S u c h a d vi c e t a k es o n f urt h er i m p ort a n c e f or e m pl o y e es i n v ol v e d i n w or ki n g at h ei g ht, wit h
1 4
f alli n g fr o m h ei g ht f at aliti es i n cr e asi n g 1 4. 3 % y e ar o n y e ar, fr o m 3 5 t o 4 0 d e at hs. A d diti o n al a n n u al st atisti cs, p u blis h e d b y t h e H S E i n O ct o b er 2 0 1 9 ( esti m at e d at 2 0 1 7 pri c es), i n di c at e a h u m a n c ost of £ 1, 2 5 0, 0 0 0 a n d fi n a n ci al c ost of £ 4 3 6, 7 0 0 e q u ati n g t o a t ot al c ost of £ 1, 6 8 7, 0 0 0 p er c as e. T h e ‘ h u m a n c ost’ r e fl e cts t h e f a mil y ‘ p ai n, gri ef a n d s u ff eri n g’ ass o ci at e d wit h l osi n g a l o v e d o n e i n s u c h a d e v ast ati n g w a y.
I n t h e w a k e of t h e U K Br e xit d e cisi o n, l ast y e ar s a w t h e p u bli c ati o n of a n I n q uir y R e p ort ‘ St a yi n g Ali v e’, p u blis h e d b y a n All- P art y P arli a m e nt ar y Gr o u p ( A P P G) o n W or ki n g at H ei g ht. T h e A P P G h as e nlist e d t h e v oi c es of f alli n g fr o m h ei g ht s ur vi v ors al o n g wit h t h e s u p p ort of bi g i n d ustr y n a m es s u c h as B alf o ur B e att y a n d t h e N ati o n al F ar m ers’ U ni o n. Dri v e n b y a missi o n t o ulti m at el y r e d u c e f alls t o z er o, A P P G is “c alli n g o n t h e G o v er n m e nt t o e ns ur e t h at n o i n di vi d u al w or ki n g at h ei g ht will b e a n y l ess s af e as a r es ult of Br e xit”.
T h e i n q uir y hi g hli g hts t h at e ns uri n g a c o m p a n y’s ‘s af et y c ult ur e’, is i n li n e wit h h e alt h a n d s af et y b est pr a cti c e a n d g ui d eli n es a n d pl a ys a pi v ot al r ol e i n r e d u ci n g t h e li k eli h o o d of a f all fr o m h ei g ht. F a ct ors t h at c a n n e g ati v el y i m p a ct t his c ult ur e ar e cr e e pi n g ‘c o m pl a c e n c y’ w h e n a n i n di vi d u al b e c o m es i n ur e d t o t h e ris k a n d p ot e nti al c o ns e q u e n c es of a f all; a n “it will n e v er h a p p e n t o m e m e nt alit y” a n d/ or f e ar of pr os e c uti o n or pr otr a ct e d l e g al iss u es wit h t h e l att er all e g e dl y l e a di n g t o u n d er-r e p orti n g of i n ci d e nts. T h e A P P G b eli e v es t h at t h e b est w a y f or w ar d is t o e ns ur e t h at a c ci d e nts a n d ‘ n e ar miss es’ ar e a d e q u at el y r e p ort e d, al o n g wit h i n v esti g ati n g t h e i ntr o d u cti o n of ci vil e nf or c e m e nt.
d r ai n T R A D E R | M ay 2 0 2 0 | w w w. dr ai ntr a d erlt d. c o m
M a n a gi n g Dir e ct or at B oss Tr ai ni n g, A n dr e w M ur p h y, b eli e v es t h at m or e m ust b e d o n e t o e ns ur e t h e s af et y of e m pl o y e es wit hi n t h e w or k pl a c e: “ W hilst stri d es h a v e b e e n m a d e i n g u ar a nt e ei n g t h e s af et y of e m pl o y e es wit hi n t h e w or k pl a c e, m or e m ust b e d o n e i n t h e c o mi n g y e ars.
“ T h e r e c e nt fi g ur es r e g ar di n g f at al a c ci d e nts i n t h e w or k pl a c e ar e dis h e art e ni n g t o s a y t h e l e ast a n d t h er e ar e s e v er al st e ps t h at e m pl o y ers c a n t a k e t o v astl y r e d u c e t h e c h a n c es of s e v er e a c ci d e nts o c c urri n g i n t h e w or k pl a c e.”
W h at C a n B e D o n e t o R e d u c e W o r k pl a c e F at aliti e s ?
W hilst a c ci d e nts c a n a n d d o h a p p e n, m e as ur es c a n b e p ut i n pl a c e t o mi ni mis e t h e ris k of w or k pl a c e f at aliti es. T h e k e y t o r e d u ci n g a c ci d e nts i n t h e w or k pl a c e is b ei n g a bl e t o i d e ntif y w hi c h ar e as y o ur b usi n ess s h o ul d t ar g et first, b y d oi n g t his y o u c a n e ff e cti v el y mi ni mis e t h e ris k of i nj uri es a n d f at aliti es wit hi n y o ur pl a c e of w or k.
T h e b est pl a c e t o st art is b y e d u c ati n g, or r e- e d u c ati n g, all of y o ur st a ff o n b est pr a cti c e w h e n it c o m es t o h e alt h a n d s af et y. W hilst it’s m a n d at or y i n s o m e li n es of w or k t o r e g ul arl y c arr y o ut h e alt h a n d s af et y tr ai ni n g c o urs es, i n s o m e s e ct ors, h e alt h a n d s af et y b est pr a cti c es ar e o nl y t a u g ht i n t h e i n d u cti o n p eri o d f or e m pl o y e es a n d n ot r e g ul arl y m ai nt ai n e d. It’s d e fi nit el y r e c o m m e n d e d t h at y o u t a k e t h e ti m e t o p ut i n a r e g ul ar a n d r o b ust h e alt h a n d s af et y tr ai ni n g s c h e d ul e a n d i n v est i n tr ai ni n g fr o m a c cr e dit e d h e alt h a n d s af et y pr of essi o n als.
S p e a ki n g of s e n di n g e m pl o y e es o n h e alt h a n d s af et y c o urs es at r e g ul ar i nt er v als, A n dr e w
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