Lawford Kidd's Blog

Unsafe practices on construction sites are to be targeted as part of a national initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill-health.

During a month-long drive to improve standards in one of Britain's most dangerous industries, the Health and Safety Executive will visit sites where refurbishment or repair works are taking place.

Inspectors will ensure that construction sites are effectively managing high-risk activity, such as working at height.

The risks facing workers across Scotland would appear to be increasing rather than falling, as the latest provisional figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveal that 20 workers lost their lives while at work in Scotland last year - an increase of six on the previous year.

HSE disappointment

The HSE has expressed its disappointment at the figures, and has called on business to rethink workplace safety provisions and to focus on real risk in an attempt to bring the numbers down.

A man has been awarded compensation of £8,750 after he injured his ankle in the ditch of a ha-ha in the grounds of Hopetoun House, near Edinburgh, reports the Scotsman.

The man, who was 61 at the time of the accident, was attending a guided bat walk in the grounds with his grandson. The injury occurred as the pair walked back to their car in the dark at the end of the bat walk.

The compensation award was originally set at £35,000, however, according to the Scotsman, the judge reduced the amount by 75% for “a high level of contributory negligence” on behalf of the grandfather.

An Edinburgh food firm has been fined after a worker seriously injured his hand on an unguarded dough mixer.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Joseph Burnett had been employed as a factory assistant for almost four months and helped to sort ingredients, make Chinese dumplings to order and package products.

On the day of the incident he was working on an industrial-sized dough mixer, into which ingredients and water are placed. Paddles then rotate to mix the ingredients into dough.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called for the Government to include work-related road traffic accidents (RTAs) in the national accident reporting system (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995).

According to latest provisional figures from the Department of Transport, in the year ending June 2012, 24,870 people are estimated to have been killed or seriously injured on the roads in the UK. In 2010 the Government estimated that 24% of serious injuries, and 30% of road deaths could be linked to work-related road traffic accidents.

Richard Jones, head of policy and public affairs at IOSH, said: “In our latest response to the RIDDOR consultation, we have again called for the Government to make serious injuries and deaths from work-related road traffic accidents reportable under RIDDOR.