CECA accident rate falls

Accident rates among members of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) have fallen for the third consecutive year, a new report has found.

Last year, the number of workplace injuries suffered by employees fell by 20 per cent, the organisation's accident statistics report for 2007 found.

In total there has been a 37 per cent reduction in staff accidents since 2004 and John Wilson, technical and environmental officer at CECA, claimed the figures are pleasing but stressed work was still to be done to improve even further.

"Although the continued reduction in accidents in the civil engineering sector is encouraging there is no room for complacency. The sector needs to continue its drive for zero tolerance of all accidents and incidences," he said.

The incidence rate of over three day injuries per 100,000 workers fell by 109 last year while that of fatal and major incidents was 35 less than the 2006 report the organisation compiled.

CECA was established in 1996 at the request of civil engineering contractors to represent their interests and currently comprises more than 300 members.