November 14, 2003—The UK is one of the world leaders on workplace health and safety but needs to do more on occupational health issues, says the UK Health and Safety Commission (HSC) as it publishes its Annual Report and Accounts for April 2002 to March 2003.
Most planned activities in the Priority Programs have been delivered, with compliance activity particularly successful. Much has been achieved in the major hazards sectors, including the publication of HSC’s new policy statement on “permissioning” regimes and the development of an initial target for major hazards. However, the final number of safety cases processed is below the expected profile because it has been necessary to return many cases to duty holders for further action.
In compliance, the final turnout for numbers of regulatory contacts is 10% above profile, and virtually all the incidents that met HSC’s published criteria were investigated, although the changing pattern of incidents meant this amounted to 7.9% of the total rather than the predicted 8.2%. There was some slippage on more long-term policy work, but European projects have largely proceeded as planned, and the record on provision of information and advice is excellent in HSC/E’s mandatory activities work.
Complete workplace health and safety statistics will be published in November 2003. Figures for 2002/03 already published in July show a reduction of 10% both in the number and rate of fatal accidents to workers compared with 2001/02. Visit HSE for a copy of the HSC Annual Report.
