TUC Demands Urgent Action Over Deaths Of 241 Workers
Following the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announcement yesterday (Thursday 26th July) that last year saw a sharp rise in the number of people killed at work, the TUC has urged the Government to get tough with the safety criminals.
Last year 241 workers were fatally injured at work, an 11% increase on the 217 deaths in 2005/06, and the highest number of workplace fatalities in five years.
Commenting on the figures TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
"These figures are dreadful. Each one of these tragic deaths was preventable and shows that employers are not doing enough to make their workplaces safe. Among the worst offenders are employers in construction, the waste industry, and agriculture, where there are high concentrations of migrant workers. This requires urgent attention."
Referring to the HSE, he added:
"The UK needs a massive change in its workplace safety culture. Making employers more accountable when things go wrong and increasing the likelihood of a visit from a safety inspector would make a real difference. But ministers have refused to place a specific legal duty for health and safety on company directors, and with less money than ever at its disposal, the HSE has had to cut its staff, including the number of its safety inspectors."
With regard to employers, he said:
"Employers must be encouraged to work more closely with union safety reps. Where there is a union presence at work, employees are at much less risk of fatal accident or injury.
'If the UK's figures on workplace deaths are to improve, ministers, the HSE and local authorities must take a much harder line against criminal employers. But with employers only likely to get a visit from a safety inspector once every 11- 20 years, it's still far too easy for them to risk the safety of their workers without fear of getting caught. Unless the Government gives the HSE more resources to do their job properly, today's increase could very well become a trend."
Source: TUC
