The equivalent of a jumbo-jet-load of passengers dies every fortnight in Britain because of the failure to ensure safe and healthy conditions in workplaces, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has reported in a recent press release. This stark statistic was disclosed in the run-up to the International Workers’ Memorial Day (April 28), which is held to commemorate all those who have died at work. Workers and their representatives from around the world conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark this day. On a global scale, it is estimated that more people are killed at work during the course of a year, than in wars and conflicts over the same period.
Roger Bibbings, an occupational safety adviser at RoSPA believes the plight and the silent suffering of victims’ families tend to go unnoticed simply because workers rarely die in high-profile disasters. “But if one jumbo jet crashed every two weeks killing all 400 people on board there would be a national outcry, “ he says. “Workers’ Memorial Day offers a chance to remember those who have been harmed at work and to redouble efforts to protect those who remain at risk.”
The UK is now almost in pole position in the world when it comes to accident rates. But, according to Mr Bibbings, the latest Health & Safety Executive figure of 241 notifiable deaths due to accidents to workers could disguise the true extent of the health and safety problem in the UK. More than 100 members of the public (still under-reported) die annually in accidents connected with work activity. About 1,000 people die in work-related road accidents and many thousands suffer early death due to work-related health damage (in this instance, estimates vary from 6,000 to 24,000 cases).
“By focusing only on accident deaths at the top of the casualty iceberg, there is a danger of losing sight of figures for the overall injury and ill-health toll which tend to remain below the water line,” says Mr Bibbings. He reminds us that the current fashion to poke fun at apparent over-reactions to ‘Health & Safety’ issues (and one presumes he refers to some of the more bizarre stories from the public sector) is very misplaced. “These stark figures should serve to remind everyone of the true extent of pain, suffering and loss due to the failure to manage risks associated with work.”
Despite this gloomy prognosis, we do have something to celebrate here in the UK. A record 1,500 businesses and organisations will be honoured at RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Awards next week (Birmingham Hotel Metropole, May 13-15), during three days of RoSPA conferences and the Safety & Health Expo 2008, which will run contemporaneously at the NEC. Most of the winners are UK-based and they have been recognised for high levels of performance and well-developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture. The awards recognise notable achievements by the winning organisations, which will have had to demonstrate outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.
According to RoSPA chief executive, Tom Mullarkey, if every business in the UK could put in place the kind of safe and healthy working that this year’s award winners have created, very many tragedies would be avoided and lives saved.
The majority of the awards are non-competitive and mark achievement which is graded at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Those demonstrating continued improvement over a number of years can win gold medals, President’s Awards and Orders of Distinction. The competitive awards go to the best entries in 20 individual industry sectors such as construction, healthcare, transport and logistics, engineering, manufacturing and education.
There are special awards for workforce involvement, training, occupational health, environmental management and the management of occupational road risk. RoSPA’s top accolade is the Sir George Earle Trophy, a silver Victorian inkstand, first presented in 1954 at a national industrial safety conference by the late Sir George Earle, then president of the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers. Last year’s winner was the civil engineering division of engineering and construction giant, Costain.
DPA offers its congratulations to all of this year’s award-winning companies and organisations; the results will be posted at www.rospa.com shortly after the event.
Les Hunt
Editor