Workplace accidents see a record low in Wales

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have published provisional figures showing that there has been a significant drop in the number of employees killed at work in Wales.

In 2008/09 five fatal injuries were reported in Wales compared with 18 in the previous year. Over the past five years there has been, on average, 16 deaths as a result of workplace accidents in Wales.

The number of people killed at work in Britain has also fallen to a record low with 180 workers killed in 2008/09 – down 17 per cent on the previous lowest total of 217, which was recorded in 2005/6.

The region's top health and safety official, Terry Rose, HSE Director for Wales, said that the reduction in fatalities reflects an improved level of health and safety practice in Wales, but that businesses need to continue to put safety first particularly in the current economic climate. 

“The fact that five people failed to come home from work in Wales last year because of avoidable safety failings is a terrible tragedy. There are families throughout the region who have been cruelly robbed of a loved one in incidents that in many cases were entirely preventable. We owe it to them and to the workers who have lost their lives to continue to put safety first.  This is all the more important given the economic problems facing Wales. We know from evidence of past downturns that when the period of economic recovery comes it generally sees an increase in the rate and number of workers losing their lives.  I don't want to be talking in 12 months time about a tragic rise in the number of our workers who have been killed simply doing their job.â€� 

The provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured across Great Britain in 2008/09 is 180 − the lowest level of workplace fatalities on record. This corresponds to a fatal injury rate of 0.6 per 100,000 workers − a fall of 25 per cent on the previous year.

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