11:53am Friday 12th March 2010
I am writing to encourage Harrow employers and employees to think a little bit more about how they could prevent slips, trips and falls where they work.
These incidents are often treated as trivial, even comical, but they are no joke to those who suffer major injuries, time off work and a lifetime of disability. Sometimes they even result in fatal injuries.
In 2008/9 in Harrow, there were 23 major injuries and 57 incidents that led to employees having to take three days or more off work as a result of slips, trips and falls from height.
This is why the Health and Safety Executive is running its Shattered Lives campaign. It aims to raise awareness of hazards and encourage employers to reduce the risks.
HSE estimates slips, trips and falls from height cost society around £800 million a year. The recent recession means these costs are likely to be felt even more keenly by businesses and individuals, but reducing the likelihood of incidents needn’t be an additional financial burden.
Actions as simple as changing the way floors are mopped or making sure the right access equipment is used for work at height may make a noticeable difference.
For more information, visit www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives
Tim Galloway, HSE head of operations, London
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