01-09-2017

Earlier this year we wrote about the shocking health and safety statistics here in the UK. At the time it was reported that there were 1-3million working people suffering from a work-related illness and 144 workers were killed on the job in 2015/2016.

Six months on, the Health and Safety Executive has published its provisional statistics for work-related fatal accidents that occurred between 1st April 2016 and 1st March 2017, which further confirms the potential risks and the importance of high-quality insurance cover.

Health and Safety Statistics 2016/2017

• 137 people were killed at work - 30 of these worked in construction, 27 in agriculture, 19 in manufacturing, 14 in Transport and storage, 14 in waste, and 33 in other professions.
• Of these fatalities, the vast majority (98 of 137) were aged between 16 and 59 years of age.
• The most common causes were being struck by a moving vehicle or object, falls from height, trapped by something collapsing/overturning, contact with moving machinery, and contact with electricity.
• A further 92 members of the public were also killed due to work related activities during this period.

Despite these numbers, rates of fatal injury per 100,000 workers is now a 35-year low and has begun to level off. The number of construction, agriculture and manufacturing deaths is lower than the five-year average also.

Nevertheless, health and safety precautions are still essential and the correct insurance is required to cover your business should an accident be unavoidable.

Protect Your Staff and Your Business

Follow Health and Safety Guidance - All employers have a legal obligation to control risks in the workplace and follow health and safety regulations. This includes completing actions such as a risk assessment to identify risks, a health and safety policy for guidance on how to deal with issues, as well as providing adequate staff training.

Furthermore, you will be expected to provide the right workplace facilities, first aid necessities and to display health and safety law posters in a visible, communal space.

Ensure You Have Suitable Cover - Should an accident happen and a staff member or their family seek compensation, having the correct insurance will ensure you can cover the costs without crippling your cashflow.

An employers' liability policy can be specifically tailored to your business needs and can cover your legal costs too. Find out more and compare insurance quotes online with us today.