Introduction to workplace health and safety

As many as 609,000 injuries occurred at work across the course of the 2016-17 financial year. With numbers like this, it’s easy to see why such significance is placed on improving health and safety at work.

Introduction to workplace health and safety
Potential health risks in the workplace
Preventing injury in the workplace
Secondary sources & FAQs
1.A

Health and safety statistics

The Health and Safety Executive release statistics on the number of injuries and fatalities which happen at work every year. Their figures are often eye-opening, and highlight the potential risks employees face on a daily basis.

For example, did you know this past year as many as 144 workers were fatally injured on the job? The numbers were broken down by profession:

  • 38 deaths of construction workers
  • 29 deaths of people working in agriculture
  • 15 deaths of people working in manufacturing
  • 15 deaths of people working in transport and storage
  • 12 deaths of people working in waste
  • 35 other deaths spread across a number of sectors

There’s a clear pattern here, with all the most risks involving physical or manual labour. As such, there was a strong correlation between that and the manner in which most deaths occurred.

  • 35 of the deaths came as a result of a fall from a height
  • 26 people were killed when struck by a moving vehicle
  • 23 people died as a result of being struck by a moving object
  • 16 people were trapped by something collapsing on them
  • 13 died when they made contact with moving machinery

Again, it’s construction where the highest chances of serious injuries lie. As of 2018, 1.64 fatal accidents occur in the sector for every 100,000 people employed.

It’s also telling that 40% of fatal injuries were to workers aged 60 or over. While this figure sits at less than half the total, over 60s account for just 10% of the UK workforce. As such, the ratio of fatalities in this demographic was disproportionate.

In total, deadly injuries fell into these age brackets:

  • Aged 16-59 - 86 deaths
  • Aged 60+ - 55 deaths
  • Unknown age - 3 deaths

Source: BSG Ltd

These numbers belie the sheer scale of injuries which happen in the workplace. But it isn’t all bad news for UK workforces. While these figures might be somewhat startling, the reality is we’re one of the safest countries to work in in all of Europe.

As of 2014 – the last time reliable figures were compiled for the whole of the continent – the UK had a fatality rate of just 0.55 for every 100,000 workers. This represented the best safety rate in Europe.

Lithuania had the worst figures, with 3.65 fatalities per 100,000 employees. Other figures included:

  • Germany – 0.81 deaths per 100,000
  • Italy – 1.15 deaths per 100,000
  • Spain – 1.47 deaths per 100,000
  • Portugal – 2.85 deaths per 100,000
  • France – 3.14 deaths per 100,000

Source: Finder

Working in the UK gives an employee a fantastic chance of avoiding serious injury. But that’s largely thanks to rules and regulations which have been in place in this country since the mid-seventies.

1.B

Health and safety workplace laws

Workplace safety became part of national legislation with the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. These regulations set out strict parameters which employers of all industries had to conform to.

From this, ten core principles emerged. These defined how places of work were to conduct themselves, and have remained at the forefront of business in the UK to this day.

Risk assessment.

Any office, factory, worksite or other kind of workplace needs to have had a risk assessment procedure carried out. All potential hazards are recorded and monitored, with advice on how they feel the risk can be minimised.

Clarity.

All measures taken to increase safety levels must be clearly laid out to employees. This means providing them with an explanation of how risks are controlled, and who is responsible for overseeing this.

Consulting with professionals.

Employers need to regularly consult with health and safety representatives to ensure they’re doing everything they can to maintain safety levels.

Training.

If a job requires it, free training must be provided to all employees, teaching them how to carry out a task safely. This is crucial, as failure to do so puts them in heightened danger.

Equipment.

Any equipment, such as PPE, must be provided to workers. This again needs to be free of charge.

Amenities.

Working toilets, washing facilities and water should be present at any place of work.

First-aid facilities.

There needs to be somewhere where medical emergencies can be treated quickly.

Reporting injuries.

Any major injuries which occur at work need to be reported to the HSE incident contact centre. They can be reached on 0345 300 9923.

Insurance.

Employers need to provide insurance for anyone who may get injured while working for them.

Working with everyone.

The views and concerns of the workforce must be listened to. An employer has a responsibility to take any worries on board and react accordingly.

Make sure your employers are following these basic guidelines. If they aren’t, raise it with them immediately.