Workplace death toll jumps up

News | HSW
01.05.2007

Workplace fatalities have risen significantly in the first six months of the 2006-07 reporting year,  according to HSE figures published on 26 March.

A total of 124 workers died between April and September 2006, compared with 212 in the whole of the previous 12 months.

The provisional figures indicate a fall in deaths in manufacturing and agriculture but a notable rise in construction; extraction and utility supply; services; and railways.Earlier in March, the unions UCATT, PCS and Prospect reported that a total of 74 workers had died on construction sites during the year 2006-07 - an increase of 14% from the year 2005-06. They warned the figure could rise before the reporting year closed on 31 March. If confirmed by official statistics, the unions' figure indicates a worrying reversal of a generally improving trend in fatal accident figures in the construction industry in recent years.

The unions called on the government to reverse planned cuts in resources at the HSE in the light of the "dramatic" rise in deaths and restated their belief that there is no substitute for enforcement in motivating employers to improve safety.

The unions said the alarming rise in construction fatalities had "occurred alongside massive cutbacks" at the HSE. They said the executive has endured year-on-year real-term financial cuts since 2002 and must lose 243 jobs by 2008.

A spokesperson for the HSE told HSW that while there was no doubt the figure for construction fatalities was going to be higher than last year, the increase comes on the heels of the lowest ever recorded figure in 2005-06 (59) and the final figure for 2006-07 is likely to be on a par with three of the last five years.

The HSE is currently examining causes for the rise but says there is no evidence of a link with resourcing, arguing that the number of frontline inspectors in construction has remained relatively stable.