Category: Health & Safety, News
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has launched the ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign to highlight the devastating consequences of simple slips, trips and falls, including falls from height, in the work place. On average, one person dies every week from a slip, trip or fall at work.
Last year over a third of injuries from slips, trips and falls reported to the HSE originated in the food manufacturing and food retail industries. In catering and hospitality, over 10 major injuries where reported each week.
Of the almost 11,000 slip, trip and fall injuries reported to the HSE last year from the sectors targeted through this campaign, nearly 46% were from the construction, building and plant maintenance industries. An HSE representative said ‘Slips and trips can be viewed as being minor, funny accidents but the effects are not. It can lead to major injuries, time off work, a lifetime of disability or even fatalities. If you spot a hazard, don’t assume somebody else will sort it’.
‘Slips, trips and falls can have a serious effect on businesses through employee absence, sick pay and reduced productivity’.
The ‘Shatter Lives’ campaign offers guidance to employers and employees in the construction, building and plant maintenance and food manufacturing and retails industries, where the incidence of injuries resulting from slips, trips and falls is the highest.
More information can be obtained from the Health & Safety Executive website.