Injuries Board Reiterates the Importance of Workplace Safety

The Irish Injuries Board has recently released an analysis of 2013 workplace claims, which reveals that it awarded compensation of €24 million in respect of 826 claims for workplace accidents in 2013, compared to €22 million compensation for 807 awards in 2012.

The average award for a workplace accident last year also increased from €27,286 in 2012 to €28,886 in 2013.

The highest award for a workplace accident last year was €432,000, a substantial increase on the previous year’s figure of €332,143.

Other key statistics from the Injuries Board's analysis of employer liability awards in 2013 include:

• Slips, trips and falls were the most common accident type accounting for almost one third (30.8%) of all awards for workplace accidents.
• The average award for men was slightly higher at €29,523, while women received an average award of €27,441.
• Men are twice as likely as women to sustain a workplace injury, with men accounting for seven in ten awards (69.4%), slightly up on last year, while women accounted for the remaining three in ten (30.6%) awards.
• Over the last three years, Thursdays in November have proven to be the most common days for workplace accidents, while the least number of accidents occurred on Sunday, and the safest month was April.

“From a peak rate of unemployment in 2012, increasing numbers of workers are re-joining the workforce,” explained Patricia Byron, CEO of the Injuries Board. “Perhaps reflective of this, our data shows a year on year increase in the number of awards made as a result of accidents in the workplace.”

“As the economy starts to grow again, and as businesses around the country begin to expand, it is important that a renewed focus on health and safety is cultivated,” she added.

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