HSC calls for action over accidents at work
The Health & Safety Commission (HSC) wants to change the law to force employers to investigate all work-related accidents, illnesses and "near misses" which could have led to serious injuries.
"By investigating incidents, identifying the causes and taking effective steps to remove those causes, employers can prevent repeat incidents and cut the human and financial cost dramatically," said HSC chairman Bill Callaghan.
An HSC consultation document claims this course could save society £1.8b (and businesses £600m) a year in preventable accidents. It believes the £18m-a-year cost to employers would be offset if reportable incidents fell as a result by 1% each year.
Provisional figures for 1999/2000 record 216 deaths and 181,000 injuries in the workplace. There were no fatalities in hospitality and catering, but the sector did report 738 major injuries and 3,014 less serious cases that required at least three days off work.
The riskiest jobs were in catering and hotels with restaurants (see table).
The consultation document, which also asks whether the investigations should include non-reportable accidents and illnesses, can be downloaded from www.hse.gov.uk/condocs. The closing date for comments is 3 September.
Provisional HSE accident figures 1999/2000
| Major injuries | Minor injuries\* | Total | |
| Hotels with restaurants | 214 | 829 | 1,043 |
| Hotels without restaurants | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Catering | 183 | 1,026 | 1,209 |
| Restaurants | 181 | 639 | 820 |
| Bars | 148 | 476 | 624 |
| Canteens | 9 | 40 | 49 |
