10-03-2008
West Midlands workplace accidents cost £71m
News by Adfero for Simply Business - independent providers of public liability insurance, business finance, landlord insurance, buy-to-let mortgages & commercial mortgages.
Workplace accident cost the West Midlands almost £71 million, with six fatalities recorded in the region during 2007.
This is according to new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is launching its Shattered Lives campaign in the West Midlands this week.
Across the nation, workplace accidents resulting in a broken or fractured bone occur every 25 minutes, while one person dies every week after slipping, tripping or falling at work.
Nick Ratty, head of operations for the HSE in the West Midlands, said that slips, trips and falls cost Britain almost £811 million a year.
Business finance could also suffer as a result of such accidents, he pointed out.
"Slips, trips and falls also shatter businesses through costs such as employee absence, sick pay and reduced productivity," Mr Ratty added.
He also suggested that it is not only employees such as tradesmen or builders who run a risk of injury.
However, the HSE website lists a number of tips for firms employing such workers to reduce the risk of falls from scaffolding or roofs and working in poor weather conditions.
"Irrespective of the size of the business and the job that you do, [workplace accidents] could happen to you," the HSE spokesperson concluded.
