148 People Killed at Work Provisional Figures Reveal

The latest provisional figures show that the number of deaths across Great Britain fell last year, with 148 people killed at work in 2012/13, compared to 171 deaths during 2011/12. More than 20,600 workers also suffered a major injury in 2012/13, representing a 10.8 percent drop on the previous year. 

High-risk industries include construction which saw 39 deaths last year, agriculture with 29 deaths, manufacturing with 20 deaths and waste and recycling with 10 deaths – making up over two-thirds of all workplace deaths in Great Britain during 2012/13.

Continual Improvement - Actions within the workplace to reduce incidents

Continually ensure improvements are made on a daily basis:

• Ensure you have a robust bespoke health and safety management system containing appropriate policies and procedures that is implemented and managed;
• Have access to competent health and safety advice;
• Regular planned proactive monitoring of different aspects of the workplace helps identify areas for improvements;
• Foster a safety culture where personnel feel empowered to report near miss, incidents and dangerous occurrences;
• Record an investigation of all near miss, incidents and dangerous occurrences;
• Analyse all safety data to understand trends within the workplace;
• Provide regular instruction, information and training to all personnel to ensure they remain competent in carrying out their roles and responsibilities;
• Record safe systems of work and risk assessments on all work activities;
• Ensure planned preventative maintenance on all plant, machinery and equipment; and
• Communication and cooperation are key to everyone working together in a safe manner.