Workplace injuries fall but fatalities remain

MORE than 16,000 work-related deaths and injuries occurred across the North West last year, new statistics show.

The total figure of 16,385 for 2008/09 equates to more than 300 incidents a week across the region, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

The statistics show that 22 people were killed at work across the region while 3,391 sustained major injuries and a further 12,972 suffered injuries requiring more than three days absence.

The number of fatalities remains the same as the previous year, while the number of injuries has seen a 6.5% drop.

David Sowerby, HSE’s regional director for the North West, said: “Behind these statistics are the real life stories of thousands of workers suffering injuries and ill health.”

He added: “The main causes of fatal incidents nationally remain falls from height and from workplace transport, with the highest numbers being found in the construction and agriculture sectors. For other injuries, slips and trips and incidents affecting the back and upper limbs are the most common cause.

“Most of these injuries are entirely preventable. We implore businesses to take practical action to manage the risks people face in their day-to-day work.”