19 Jul July

In this month’s newsletter we cover the following:

• Work-related fatality figures have been published by the HSE – The three most common causes of fatal injuries are falls from height (40), being struck by a moving object (29), and being struck by a moving vehicle (20). The total of 135 worker deaths in 2022/23 is higher than the previous year (123) but is in line with pre-pandemic levels. The figure for 2020/21 was 145. Great Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work and there has been a long-term downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries to workers, though in the years prior to the coronavirus pandemic the rate was broadly flat. A further 68 members of the public were killed following a work-related incident in 2022/23. This is a decrease of 20 from last year.
• Dust Kills Manufacturing – Silica is a natural substance found in varying amounts in most stones, rocks, sand, and clay. These materials may contain large amounts of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can be fatal if particles are breathed in over time. Silica particles are produced during many manufacturing tasks. Brick and tile manufacture and cutting, stone working, and foundry work can all produce silica particles in the airborne dust which are too small to be seen. Regularly breathing in this dust over a long time can cause irreversible, life-changing lung diseases. Even breathing in small amounts of silica dust puts you at risk of developing lung disease.
• Tata Steel UK fined after worker suffers permanent brain damage – The jammed concrete mixer paddle door was opened with force, using a scaffold pole. This caused the pole to spin and hit the operative in the face with such force that he was thrown backwards, hitting his head and losing consciousness. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Tata Steel UK provided an unguarded mixer and that the mixer’s door regularly jammed. Tata Steel UK also failed to ensure that there was a safe system of work in place to release the mixer’s door. Follow the link in this months newsletter for the full article by SHP Online.