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FOCUS'Shattered Lives' could affect you, says the UK Health and Safety ExecutiveMarch 2008 Every 25 minutes, someone in the UK breaks or fractures a bone at work according to the latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE has now launched the 'Shattered Lives' campaign, to highlight the devastating consequences of simple slips, trips and falls - including falls from height - in the workplace. The figures are alarming - every week, one person dies from a slip, trip or fall at work and the serious injuries from slips, trips and falls make up almost a third of all injuries reported to the HSE. Introducing the 'Shattered Lives' campaign, Dr Elizabeth Gibby, Head of the Injuries Reduction Programme, HSE said, "Each year slips, trips and falls cost the British society nearly £811 million pounds with £31 million of this coming from the catering and hospitality industry. But what these figures don't reflect, is the extent to which these injuries affect individual workers and their families. Slips, trips and falls can be viewed as being minor, funny accidents but the effects are not. It can lead to major injuries, and a lifetime of disability or time off work and in worst cases, fatalities. 'Shattered Lives' will encourage people to change their attitudes: if you spot a hazard, don't assume 'somebody else will sort it out'. Slips, trips and falls can also have a shattering effect on businesses through costs such as employee absence, sick pay and reduced productivity. Irrespective of the size of the business and the job that you do, it could happen to you." HSE's Shattered Lives campaign will offer guidance to employers and employees in the construction, building and plant maintenance and food manufacturing and retail industries where the incidence of injuries resulting from slips, trips and falls is highest. Think how these figures are multiplied worldwide - and calculate the cost in your country.
Seeking more validated and authoritative information on slips, trips and falls?More information on slips, trips and falls at work - not only in Europe but around the World, can be found by checking out the OSH UPDATE electronic collection of information sources. Seekers will find a wealth of authoritative and validated advice from around the world. Full text documents and references on best practices, case studies, journal articles, reports, advice and guidance, legislation and much more are in OSH UPDATE. Another database of information from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is added to the collection - making a total of 18 databases in OSH UPDATE. And at no extra cost! Why not try OSH UPDATE for yourself? Take a 15 day free trial to a collection of over 800,000 sources of authoritative and validated information. The cost of a year's subscription is GBP275.00. Why be without quality OSH information? Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. publish a number of health, safety, environment and fire electronic services / products that contain information from well-known worldwide organisations. These services, that are regularly updated, contain both full text and bibliographic information. All services are available for a 15-day free trial. |