Fatal Injuries in Farming, Forestry and fishing figures released by the HSE
This week, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed figures for workplace fatalities in the agricultural, farming and fishing sectors. The report highlighted that 33 people died in 2017/2018, with greatest number of injuries involving cattle. This represented at worker fatality rate of 8.44/100,000 workers, which was 18 times the industrial average. Worrying figures such as this highlight the need for fantastic initiatives such as Farm Safety Week. Click HERE to read the HSE’s full report.
Met Office releases new guidelines on how to stay safe in the sun
With the heatwave continuing across the entirety of the country, and the looming threats of thunderstorms across the weekend, the Met Office issued new advice on how to stay safe in the sun. Primarily, it was advised to avoid the sun between the hours of 11am and 3pm, and to stay hydrated. Read the recap by SHP Online HERE.
Dr Karen McDonnell suggested that physical and mental health should treated as ‘one and the same’
Dr Karen McDonnell, policy advisor at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) spoke this week of a need to embed the importance of mental health within a far broader approach to workplace safety. She said an integrated approach that promote conversational openness would help to break the stigma of mental health in the workplace. Click HERE to read more.
A case in which the Judge stated that ‘it was a miracle that only one person got injured’ concluded this week
A case which concerned the hiring of unqualified and unskilled subcontractors to complete the demolition of a building concluded this week, with the prosecuted being fined in excess of £65,000. It was reiterated that this example was by no means isolated, and exemplified the HSE’s commitment to ensuring safe and proper practice. The HSE stated that it would not hesitate to enforce regulation where safety was compromised. Click HERE to read the full HSE report.
Reports suggest that the waste disposal sector had the highest workplace fatality rate of any industrial sector
On Friday, a SHP Online investigation highlighted the worrying levels of workplace accidents and fatalities in the Waste Disposal sector. Although 2 fewer people were killed between April 2017 and March 2018, the proportional fatality rate remained over 16x the industrial average. Christina McAnea, of the public services union Unison lamented that ‘sadly, injuries are all too common’. Click HERE to read the full article.
Richard Orton of IOSH suggests that a ‘head over heart’ approach to promoting wellbeing in the workplace would be more successful
Richard Orton, of IOSH, stated at Safety and Health EXPO 2018 that new ways must be conjured up to convince boardrooms of the benefit of promoting wellbeing in the workplace. He believed that this could come from a greater focus on Occupational Diseases, which cause 2.4 million of the 2.8 million global workplace deaths each year. He also suggested that the tangible financial rewards of an effective wellbeing scheme should be emphasised. Do you agree with his ideas? Click HERE to read up on them and share YOUR opinions on our social media accounts.