North West Deaths Preventable Says HSE Director

David Ashton, HSE's Regional Director in the North West, said today that many of the 31 deaths of North West workers in 2005-06 could have been prevented by simple and sensible precautions.

"Year after year the same underlying trends appear in our fatal accidents statistics - and the tragedy is that deaths such as these could be avoided. If we could eliminate just two of the causes - falling from a height and being struck either by site vehicles or by their loads or other materials falling on them - around two thirds of those people would still be alive today."

The deaths included seven people who were run over or crushed by lorries or other vehicles, and another who was crushed between a cherry picker and a roof. Five people fell from roofs or windows, or into unguarded holes and of the nine construction fatalities; many also involved falls from height.

Elsewhere in the North Wes two people were involved in explosions and another was electrocuted. In the countryside, one person was killed by a bull, another fell while sheep shearing, and a third fell from a horse. In factory accidents people were crushed by an overturning vehicle, loaded pallets and falling containers.

"Time after time our inspectors visit the scenes of these accidents and realise that in many cases they could easily have been prevented", said David Ashton. "I call on all businesses to act now to stop this toll."

Effective, practical precautions include:

* using safe platforms with guarded edges for working at heights;
* securing ladders properly where these have to be used;
* securing loads before moving them; and
* laying workplaces out to keep vehicles and pedestrians apart wherever practical.

Operators and people using access equipment should be trained. Mr Ashton added: "Simple assessments of risk, asking everyday questions like 'How will we clean out the gutters?'; 'How can we get up to change those light bulbs?'; 'Can people get up to reach the tops of our lorry loads in a safe manner?'; and 'Have we trained everyone suitably?' could prevent so much heartbreak."

source: GNN News Release

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