World Health and Safety at Work Day

28th April is World Health and Safety at Work Day. The day is intended to be a reminder that a safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. This is a principle set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which is not, despite its name, a political or trade union organisation. The ILO is a United Nations organisation. It is over 100 years old and exists to bring together governments, employers and workers in 187 Member States to set labour standards and develop policies promoting decent working standards.

We might be tempted to think that poor working conditions are really only a problem in developing countries and not in the more industrialised west. Indeed, in the UK we often speak of ‘Health and Safety gone mad’ but this ignores the huge debt which workers owe to Health and Safety legislation. It’s easy to forget that not so long ago workers were exposed to asbestos and that many developed fatal cancers as a result; according to the Health and safety Executive (HSE) there were 2444 deaths from mesothelioma due to workplace asbestos exposure in 2020. Many workers have suffered irreversible hearing loss as a result of exposure to constant noise. Many others have suffered damage to their circulatory system when required to use vibrating tools and machinery for hours on end. Others are badly injured or even killed by falls or unsafe machinery.

Legislation is designed to protect against this and has put an end to many bad practices. The workplace is much safer than it would be otherwise. But sadly, accidents do still happen. The most recent Health and Safety Executive statistics tell us that in 2021/2022 there were 61,713 injuries to employees serious enough to need reporting to the HSE. That’s 169 a day. Without Health and Safety legislation that figure would be even higher.

If you have been injured at work, Fiona Bruce Solicitors may be able to help. We offer a free 30 minute consultation for personal injury claims; if you need some advice, give our practice manager, Richard Bruce, a call on 01925 263273.

The contents of this post do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information purposes only.