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Fifteen people lost their lives while at work in Scotland last year  and 2,645 suffered     a major injury, according to the latest statistics.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a fresh warning about workplace safety after the  number of deaths rose across Great Britain in 2010/11. It is urging employers to make the safety of  workers their top priority for 2012, and is reminding them of their legal  responsibility to ensure lives   are not put at risk.

A total of 171 people were killed at work in Great Britain last year, compared to 147 deaths  during 2009/10. More than 24,700 workers also suffered a major injury in 2010/11.

The 15 deaths and 2,645 major injuries across Scotland compare to 22 deaths and 2,655 major injuries   in 2009/10. Another 7,598 workers suffered an injury or ill health which required them to take at least three days off work in 2010/11, compared to 8,137 in 2009/10.

The latest provisional figures show that, on average, six in every million workers were killed while at work between April 2010 and March 2011.

High-risk industries include construction which had 50 deaths last year, agriculture with 34 deaths, and waste and recycling with nine deaths, making up more than half of all workplace deaths in Great Britain during 2010/11.

Dr Paul Stollard, HSE Director in Scotland, said:

"The families of the 15 workers in Scotland who lost their lives last year had to face Christmas without them. Hundreds of other workers have had their lives changed forever by a major injury.

"These statistics highlight why we need good health and safety in British workplaces. Employers should spend their time tackling the real dangers that workers face rather than worrying about trivial risks or pointless paperwork.

"It's important to remember that we still have one of the lowest rates of workplace deaths in Europe, but one death is still one too many. I'd urge businesses to help cut the number of deaths in 2012."

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Lost lives

Letter from the Editor,

A Happy New Year to all our readers and welcome to 2012. The  weather has been reasonably kind to us so far, but take care, not just on the road but also when walking around. Slips and trips account for many of the workplace injuries recorded during the winter months. Some advice on winter driving is given overleaf, it’s common sense but we all need reminded what that is.  As usual, any feedback on the newsletter or our website would be most welcome.

Falls in the ‘freight by road’ industry continue to cause  major injuries and sometimes fatalities . Over two thirds of  falls are from vehicles. Common accidents are falls from trailers, tail-lifts and truck cabs.

Measures to reduce the risk of falls include:

·          Avoiding the need for climbing onto trailers where possible

·          Providing steps and handholds where access is still required

·          Looking for safety features when buying a new vehicle

·          Trying out different types of footwear to see which provides most slip-resistance for  

       the environment employees will be working in

·          Workers should never have their back to the edge of the trailer if they are within 1      

       metre of it. Never walk backwards on a trailer

·          Don’t jump from a truck cab or trailer

·          Regularly check the condition of hand-holds to detect deterioration in load-bearing

       capacity

An overview of the risk from falls from vehicles and practical ways of reducing risks can be found in the Freight Transport Association  leaflet 'Preventing falls from vehicles' and in the HSE leaflet “Avoiding falls from vehicles”.

Falls

Regulatory Update: 

We are not aware of any new legislation affecting the carriage of dangerous goods being made during  December  2011. However the New Year is a time when previously made legislation  can become mandatory. So remember that IMDG Amendment 35 becomes mandatory on the 1st  January 2012. If you are involved in airfreight make sure you have your copy of  2012  IATA DGR 53rd Edition.

Static Dangers

The dangers of  transporting highly flammable products, particularly petrol are well known, however accidents continue to occur. In a recent  incident a static discharge was suspected to be the cause of an explosion which injured two workers and destroyed a road tanker. Static is an everyday danger make sure you earth before loading or unloading flammable liquids or powders.