5 Year High For Construction Deaths

According to official Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures released yesterday, construction fatalities have hit their highest rate for five years.

There were 77 fatal injuries in the year 2006/2007, equivalent to a rate of 3.7 per 100,000 workers. Last year, there were 60 deaths at a far lower rate of 3.0 per 100,000. This represents a 28% rise since last year.

The figure represents the highest number of fatalities since 2001/2002, when 80 workers lost their lives at a rate of 3.8% per 100,000.

The number of self-employed workers killed has increased from 17 last year to 27 this year, while full-time employees’ fatalities went from 43 last year to 50 in 2006/2007. In addition, seven members of the public lost their lives on construction sites.

HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger, commenting on the overall figures, said, “Those who are putting the lives of their workforce at risk should know that HSE takes this very seriously. In the past year we have approved 25% more prosecutions than the year before and our inspectors have served 1000 more enforcement notices. No one should believe that they can get away with serious breaches of health and safety.”