As we enter European Week for Safety and Health at Work (21-27 October) it has been found that over half of UK employees have experienced an accident at work.
This research was undertaken by Hudgell Solicitors who found that 51 per cent of workers have had an accident at work with handling, lifting and carrying objects being the most common cause.
Just under a quarter (24 per cent) of workers have not had the appropriate safety training at work.
Whilst 10 per cent said they had no first aid trainers at work and no safety protection equipment. Also just under a fifth (19 per cent) said that no risk assessments were not implemented ahead of carrying out dangerous tasks.
Jane Woodcock, head of personal injury at Hudgell Solicitors said:
Our research shows a worrying lack of health and safety knowledge among the UK workforce, and it’s something that really needs to be addressed in order to prevent more fatal accidents in the future.
A lot of the time, these types of accidents are a result of negligence and not following appropriate health and safety measures, and therefore can be completely avoided. We’d always advise employers to make sure their workers are fully up to speed with all health and safety policies, and even regularly test their employees to ensure workplace accidents and injuries are kept to a minimum.
The survey also found that 17 per cent of workers have suffered an injury at work as a result of incorrectly handling or lifting objects. A tenth reported that employer acts of violence were cause for accidents.
In the UK, Newcastle came out on top with 57 per cent of workers in the city admitting to having an accident at work. Nottingham came in second at 56 per cent and Plymouth at 54 per cent.
Hudgell Solicitors asked 2,000 UK employees in order to obtain these results.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
