THE NUMBER OF FATAL ACCIDENTS AT WORK CONTINUES TO DECREASE

The Health and Safety Commission Report for 2006/7 shows that the provisional figure for the number of workers who were fatally injured in an accident at work during 2006/07 is 241.  This corresponds to a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 workers.  In 2005/06 the figure was 217, ie 0.72 per 100,000 workers, which was the lowest annual rate recorded.

Even though fatal accidents are generally decreasing, the rate of that decrease has slowed over the last 15 years, and in fact there has been very little change during the last 5 years.

The agricultural and construction industries account for around 46% of all fatal work accidents.

Falling from a height is the most common type of accident, and in 2006/7 resulted in 19% of the recorded fatalities.  However, over the last 10 years there has been a significant reduction in the severity of injuries in this area.

The second most common type of accident is being struck either by a moving or falling object, or by a moving vehicle.

In 2006/7 90 members of the public were also fatally injured in accidents (excluding railway related incidents), and this level of incidents has not significantly changed over recent years.

COMMENT:-

Although the current Report indicates a general decrease in accident at work situations where the injury ultimately proves to be fatal, even minor accidents can result in the worker taking time off and thereby losing income, which can put great strain on family life.  However, where the injury is fatal, the effect on the family is devastating.

It remains important for employers and workers alike to take great care to ensure safety at work.  A worker who is injured in an accident may be able to pursue a personal injury claim against the responsible party for their injuries and financial losses, including lost earnings.

In respect of fatal work accidents, the dependants of the deceased worker might also be able to make claims against the responsible party, but no amount of money can truly compensate for their loss.

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM SOLICITORS:-

If you have suffered any form of accident at work, contact personal injury specialists Hinchliffes Solicitors for immediate legal advice, to find out if you are entitled to make claims for injury compensation.  All cases are dealt with on a No Win - No Fee basis and successful clients keep 100% of the compensation recovered.

Call now on 0800 138 1348 to speak direct to a personal injury lawyer or go to our Start Your Claim Now page to submit details of your personal injury claim online.

Tags: accident, accidents, fatal, personal injury claim, solicitors, work

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 9:13 am and is filed under ALL NEWS ITEMS, Fatal accidents, Work accidents.