Breathing problems contribute to workplace personal injuries
It has been revealed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that respiratory problems are still a major contributor to workplace personal injuries.
The warning came from the organisation after a grandmother died recently from asbestosis, due to a lifetime of working with the dangerous substance.
Despite the apparent doom and gloom the HSE normally has to offer, new statistics proved that the number of people killed, injured or suffered an illness from a work accident has dropped dramatically.
The figures, published in the HSE’s Health and Safety Statistics 2008/091, show that across England, Scotland and Wales, the number of people estimated to be suffering from work-related ill health reduced by 79,000 in 2008/09 to 1.2 million and as a result three million fewer working days were lost to ill health in 2008/09 - a total of 24.6 million.
However over the past year, 2156 people have died from mesothelioma and thousands more of other occupational cancers and lung diseases.
David Hall, Chairman for the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF,) soberly reminded employers not to get complacent over the improved figures, as breathing problems still possess a strong hazard to workforces.
He stated: “Each year thousands of people die from work-related diseases and although this is often due to exposure to dangerous substances in the past, many workers are still potentially at risk of respiratory disease. In addition further research indicates that an estimated 50% of all employees requiring respiratory protection does not achieve the correct level of protection.”
Breath of new life
As a result, both the HSE and BSIF are urging bosses to do more to protect their workers from personal injury.
The key areas highlighted in workforce reports to be improved were - 29.3 million days were lost overall (1.4 days per worker), 24.6 million due to work-related ill health and 4.7 million due to workplace injury. In addition, 246, 000 reportable injuries occurred, a rate of 870 per 100 000 workers, according to the Labour Force Survey.
1.2 million people who worked during the last year were suffering from an illness (long standing as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work. 551,000 of these were new cases.
180 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.6 per 100 00 workers and 131,895 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 502.2 per 100 000 employees.
Therefore, the BSIF along with the HSE have launched a new scheme to help improve safety and health in the work place.
The ‘Fit2Fit Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme’, focuses on the aim to significantly decrease the incidence of occupational respiratory injury by substantially increasing the correct fitting of RPE.
This scheme is designed to confirm the competency of any person performing facepiece fit testing by passing an industry recognised exam, demonstrating that they have a thorough knowledge of the HSE guidance on fit testing and that they know how to fit test in practical circumstances.
David added: “By creating a nationally recognised accreditation scheme with ‘professional’ standing, employers who select appropriate, accredited Fit2Fit personnel to fit test their employees with respiratory protection will mitigate liability in the event of an incident. Most importantly, of course, it will play a part in reducing respiratory disease in the workplace.”
Updated on 17/11/2009