The 5 top causes of fatal workplace injuries in Great Britain
April is an important month in the UK workplace. It marks the start of a new financial year for many companies, with many employers preparing for their annual appraisal process; employee performance; goal setting for the upcoming year; training and development opportunities, as well as helping to ensure that everyone is working towards shared objectives and goals within the organisation. It’s a critically significant point in the year to learn from the past and improve for the future. It’s also a busy one as often there are changes in employment law or regulations
Something that isn’t dictated by a particular month of the year, and indeed should be addressed throughout the year is employers revalidating their health & safety protocols, making sure these are up-to-date with current legal requirements so that they can protect themselves, their business, and their workforce from potential risks associated with non-compliance and bad practice issues.
The United Kingdom has one of the most comprehensive health and safety regulations in the world. Unfortunately, workplace accidents still happen on a regular basis. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes an annual report detailing the five top causes of fatal workplace injuries in Great Britain each year.
The five top causes of fatal workplace injuries in Great Britain
- Slips. These are usually caused by wet floors or other slippery surfaces that can cause workers to lose their balance, resulting in serious injuries such as broken bones or head trauma if they fall onto hard surfaces like concrete floors.
- Trip. These can occur when people stumble over items left lying around, which can also lead to serious consequences, including sprains/strains from falling awkwardly.
- Falls. These may be from heights / elevated levels without adequate protection measures put into place. For example, scaffolding that’s not secured properly, leading to workers slipping off them, due to lack of guard rails, etc.
- Being struck. Often by moving objects. This is another common accident within workplaces, particularly those dealing with heavy machinery, where operators may be unaware that someone else is nearby.
- Contact with electricity sources results in electric shocks, burns, organ damage & even death due to electrocution
It’s important employers take these risks seriously, so employees stay safe while at work.
How can employers help to protect their employees?
- Know about the Health and Safety guidelines
- Completing and reviewing risk assessments
- Logging and reporting incidents
- Providing appropriate training
- Creating and maintaining a suitable work environment
- Displaying necessary notices & warning signs clearly visible throughout premises
- Clearly indicating danger zones
- Making sure any PPE; protective clothing needed i.e. steel toe capped boots / gloves are always worn whilst undertaking certain tasks
- Know where their staff are
- Have strategies in place to mitigate risks
- Offering lone workers the ability to check in at intervals. A safeguard to ensure that their safety is monitored whilst working without a colleague. With the additional safety measure of an escalation strategy
- Ensure the organisation and staff are working together, going in the same direction.
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