Focus on safety is paramount as economy recovers

Some encouraging news about the economy today, with reports that it grew by by 0.6% in the three months to June www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23446056 and the Chancellor suggesting we are moving “from rescue to recovery.” But this news should serve as a reminder that with economic recovery comes a rise in accidents. 

 

A 2005 study undertaken by the Warwick Institute for Employment Research for the HSE, www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr386.pdf showed an 11-12% increase in the rate of major accidents during a boom, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

The reasons are thought to be twofold: accident rates increase with the hiring of new staff who are more at risk of injury; secondly, accident rates rise in line with increased worker effort, such as when overtime increases and there is a higher ratio of actual to usual hours worked.

 

So as economic activity increases, a clear focus on health and safety is paramount. Appropriate training plays an essential role in accident prevention and the next issue of Health & Safety Matters coming out at the end of July includes a special supplement dedicated to the issue of health and safety training where you can read about new trends and developments in the training market and find information about the latest training course offerings.