Warning to firms over casualties

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced new findings that show that of the 1,123 injuries in Bedfordshire, 235 were considered to be major compared with 228 in 2009/10.

888 workers suffered an injury or ill health which required them to take at least three days off work in 2010/11, compared to 883 in 2009/10.

A total of 171 people were killed at work in Great Britain last year, compared to 147 deaths during 2009/10.

More than 24,700 workers also suffered a major injury in their workplace in 2010/11.

Simon Longbottom, HSE’s operations manager in the East of England, said: “Hundreds of workers in Bedfordshire have had their lives changed forever by a major injury at work.

“These statistics highlight why we need good health and safety in British workplaces. Employers should spend their time tackling the real dangers that workers face rather than worrying about trivial risks or pointless paperwork.

“It’s important to remember that we still have one of the lowest rates of workplace deaths in Europe, but one death is still one too many.

“I’d urge businesses to help cut the number of deaths in 2012.”

The latest provisional figures show that, on average, six in every million workers were killed while at work between April 2010 and March 2011.

High-risk industries include construction which had 50 deaths last year, agriculture with 34 deaths, and waste and recycling with nine deaths, making up more than half of all workplace deaths in Great Britain during 2010/11.

For information on tackling health and safety dangers go to www.hse.gov.uk.