Campaign to cut falls at work
THREE people died and almost 1,300 suffered serious injury after “easily avoidable” slips, trips or falls in workplaces across East Anglia last year.Now the second phase of a campaign has been launched to highlight the “devastating consequences” and to encourage employers to take action.
THREE people died and almost 1,300 suffered serious injury after “easily avoidable” slips, trips or falls in workplaces across East Anglia last year.
Now the second phase of a campaign has been launched to highlight the “devastating consequences” and to encourage employers to take action.
The figures were released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which urged businesses to take “simple measures” to make a “positive difference”.
The number of serious injuries across the region in 2007/8 included:
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Breckland - 95
Broadland - 67
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East Cambridgeshire - 46
Forest Heath - 57
Fenland - 90
King's Lynn and West Norfolk - 108
Mid Suffolk - 49
North Norfolk - 55
South Norfolk - 62
Norwich - 110
St Edmundsbury - 95
Suffolk Coastal - 102
Waveney - 73
Yarmouth Borough - 69
The second phase of the Shattered Lives campaign was launched yesterday. Marcia Davies, HSE head of the injury reduction programme, said: “People often view slips, trips and falls as trivial incidents, even comical but they are no joke to those who suffer major injuries, a lifetime of disability, time off work and in the worst cases, death.
“We want to raise awareness of how these incidents can happen and how they can be easily avoided by taking common-sense actions and precautions at no or little cost. If you spot a hazard in your workplace deal with it, don't assume that somebody else will. The lives of workers and their families are shattered by the serious consequences of these types of accidents. Simple measures introduced by businesses can make a positive difference to safety in the workplace,” she said.
Fatalities and serious injuries arising from slips, trips and fall incidents cost British society an estimated �700m last year, according to the HSE. The campaign is targeted at seven sectors where there is a prevalence of such injuries: food retail, catering and hospitality, food and drink manufacturing, building and plant maintenance, construction, healthcare and education.
