Is Health and Safety just a load of old bull - Some people would agree? There was been a number of changes in health and safety law of which some was much needed to simplify business requirements to comply. DGB Health & Safety Solutions assist businesses in managing their risk management requirements. This article includes information from the HSE on accident stats. So what is your response!

1. Is Health and Safety just a load of old bull?
Is health and safety just a load of old bull? There has been talk about cutting “legal red tape”
from health and safety for some time from the government. The HSE has started this
process by reviewing the current laws and either removing or revising current legislation in
the name of simplifying the burden on industry in complying. I agreed that change was
needed.
Incidents still happen and always will however is health and safety just a load of old bull or is
there a need to have systems in place to manage risk. The HSE publish reports known as ebulleting. I have attached one below:
What's new - latest publications and releases
Health and safety statistics 2012/13
Published online today (30 October) the latest statistics on work-related health, safety and
enforcement in Great Britain 2012/13 and includes the following key annual figures:
 148 workers killed at work - data over the past five years indicate a levelling off in
the previous downward trend.

78 222 injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR – due to changes in legal reporting
requirements it is not possible to compare directly with previous years although statistical modelling
suggests the downward trend is continuing.

An estimated 175 000 reportable injuries leading to over-7-day absence occurred (Labour Force
Survey).

An estimated 5.2 million working days were lost due to workplace injury in 2012/13, on average 8.1
days per injury.

In 2011, there were 2291 mesothelioma deaths caused by past exposure to asbestos, a reduction
compared with the previous year (2360 in 2010). Despite this, the number is expected to continue to
increase in future years before peaking towards the end of this decade.

13 503 enforcement notices were issued by HSE and local authorities in 2012/13, a decrease of 15%
from the previous year.

HSE (and the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) completed 597 prosecution cases (covering 973 offences)
and secured a conviction in 95% of cases.

Workplace injuries and ill health (excluding cancer) cost society an estimated £13.8 billion (in 2010/11,
based on 2011 prices) - down from the 2006/7 estimate of £16.3 billion.
DGB Health & Safety Solutions assist businesses to manage their risk management
requirement through audits, various risk assessments, training and toolbox talks. For more
information please visit our website at http://www.dgbhealthsafetysolutions.co.uk or e-mail at
info@dgbhealthsafetysolutions.co.uk
Dave Bennion
Owner of DGB Health & Safety Solutions
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Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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