Health and Safety Executive's new year safety message for Greater Manchester businesses

29/12/2008 10:16
Health and Safety Executive (North West)
(HSE) Health and Safety Executive's new year safety message for Greater Manchester businesses after 7,000 workplace incidents



A total of 7,204 people were killed or injured in work-related incidents across Greater Manchester last year according to the latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). That's an average of around 138 incidents every week.

The toll, which includes ten deaths, is a stark reminder to the region's employers and their staff that they should resolve to make their workplaces safer in 2009.

David Sowerby, the HSE's North West Regional Operations Manager, said: "Behind these statistics are cases of real suffering and, for some, hardship through loss of income. We are asking that businesses take practical action to manage the risks people face in their day-to-day work."

The 2007/08 statistics for Greater Manchester's local authorities were:

Fatal injuries Total number killed or
injured
Bolton 2 731
Bury 0 393
Manchester 4 1,711
Oldham 0 594
Rochdale 0 684
Salford 0 656
Stockport 1 555
Tameside 0 487
Trafford 1 583
Wigan 2 800
Greater Manchester 10 7,204
TOTAL


Across the North West, 19,135 people suffered workplace incidents during 2007/08 and 28 of those were fatal.

David Sowerby said: "Each year at this time HSE reflects on the number of incidents in the preceding 12 months, and each year the same patterns are repeated. Again, our inspectors have found that falling from height and being struck by falling or moving objects were among the chief causes of death and injury. If workplaces could eliminate these factors, both of them avoidable, these startling figures would be hugely reduced. HSE is here to address the very serious health and safety issues at the root of these statistics, not the banning of people playing conkers."

HSE urges businesses to act by:

* Using safe platforms with guarded edges for working at height;
* Securing ladders properly where these have to be used;
* Securing loads before moving them;
* Laying workplaces out to keep vehicles and pedestrians apart, where possible.

David Sowerby said: "Simple assessments of risk, ease of tasks, accessibility, exposure to harmful substances and training can prevent many incidents.

"HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and education to those both carrying out and managing work and we need businesses and self-employed people to work with us to help reduce injuries and make Greater Manchester a safer place to work.

"Each of the injuries catalogued here is not only a personal tragedy for the individual concerned and their family, it also translates into lost working time and a cost to the business involved. When it comes to workplace safety we cannot be complacent, we all have a role to play in 2009."

ENDS

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