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January 6, 2014

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HSE reminds businesses to focus on legal responsibilities in 2014

 

The HSE is urging businesses to focus on their legal responsibility to make sure lives aren’t put at risk and make the safety of workers their top priority for 2014.
 
The appeal follows the latest provisional figures released by the HSE, which show that despite there being a decrease in the number of deaths across Great Britain, 148 people were killed at work in 2012/13. 
 
The North East, South West, North West, West Midlands and the East of England all saw a decrease in the number of workplace deaths, while London, Scotland, and Yorkshire and Humber saw an increase in the number of fatalities. 
 
More than 20,600 workers suffered a major injury in 2012/13, representing a 10.8 per cent drop on the previous year. Five in every million workers were killed while at work between April 2012 and March 2013.
 
High-risk industries include construction, which had 39 deaths last year, agriculture (29), manufacturing (20) and waste and recycling (10). These figures make up over two-thirds of all workplace deaths in Great Britain during 2012/13.
 
These provisional figures will be finalised in October 2014 following any necessary adjustments that might arise from investigations, in which new facts may emerge about whether the accident was work-related.
 
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “While the number of workplace deaths and major injuries has decreased nationally, these statistics highlight why we still need good health and safety in workplaces. [The HSE] therefore urge employers to spend their time tackling the real dangers that workers face and stop worrying about trivial matters or pointless paperwork.
 
“It’s important to remember that while we still have one of the lowest rates of workplace deaths in Europe, one death is still one too many.”

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