A CALL for ‘zero deaths’ from workplace accidents was supported today by Essex Euro MP Richard Howitt.
A recent workplace safety conference held in Europe of more than 4,000 experts representing 141 countries heard that work accidents and occupational disease claim ‘more victims than war’ but that awareness of the scale of the global problem of work fatalities remains low.
Workplace fatalities are one of the world’s largest killers yet they do not feature in the World Health Organisation’s top 10 causes of death despite figures that are higher than for HIV/Aids. An estimated 2.3 million workers across the world die every year from occupational accidents and diseases.
The latest UK Health and Safety Executive figures available for our region (2012/13) record 16 deaths in workplace accidents, mainly in the construction industry. There were a further 1,831 major injuries and 5,306 reports of injuries that required seven days or more off work for the East of England. These figures are slightly higher than the national average.
Essex Labour MEP Richard Howitt, who is spokesperson for corporate social responsibility in the European Parliament and is backing a new drive by the European Commission further to reduce occupational injury and disease, said,
“I work closely with trade unions, employers and government agencies in Essex to ensure that health and safety in our working lives is of paramount concern.
“Sixteen deaths in our region from workplace accidents and over 7,000 injuries underscore the urgent need to do more.
“But the scale of the problem around the world isn’t properly recognised and I’m pleased to see that the European Commission has proposed a new strategic framework for health and safety, which identifies key future challenges in the 2014 – 2020 period such as ageing of the workforce and improving the prevention of work-related diseases.
“The recent European conference heard that reductions in the numbers injured at work here in the UK and especially in Germany in recent years through preventative measures shows the possibility of reducing total accident at work fatalities to zero is a feasible target and something we should all strive for.”
