British official stresses need to improve workplace safety

In a speech to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) on May 8, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, minister for health and safety, insisted that Britain must make further improvements to its health and safety record.

"Over the past 30 years, we have achieved a great deal in improving health and safety standards, but more still needs to be done," he said. "Last year, more than 200 people were killed at work and over 350,000 injured. The cost to the economy is well over 10 billion pounds every year. This is largely as a result of poor health and safety management. Most of the deaths and serious injury are completely avoidable and often by simple inexpensive measures.

"Every death and injury is a tragedy; the cost is felt highest by the family of those involved both economically and emotionally. Employers, regulators and safety professionals have a moral and legal duty to see that avoidable workplace incidents don't happen."

Lord Hunt stressed the importance of partnership working, and how the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working closely with organizations
such as RoSPA, the Institute of Directors (IoD) and Trades Union Congress (TUC) to ensure that workers are protected.