The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA) has released some worrying figures on work related accidents early this January.
According to the HSA reports, the total number of fatalities reached 55 in 2015, exactly the same number of fatalities that occurred during 2014. The agricultural sector registered a decrease in the total number of accidents (18 against 30), while the construction industry saw an increase (from 8 to 11).
The main cause of fatal incidents in 2015 were vehicle related.
These figures mark the importance of introducing risk assessment, of emphasizing health and safety at work as well as training employees on best work practices.
The Assistant Chief Executive of the HSA, Brian Higgisson, stated that there need to be further improvements in 2016: “There are high levels of safety and health awareness in Irish workplaces and we must ensure that this translates to changes in behaviour and fewer accidents in all the sectors this year.”
If your company relies on the use of vehicles and on driving in order to operate, you really should ensure safety is very much a priority again in 2016. This does not only involve actual driving activity but also coupling, uncoupling or any loading and unloading task your staff might have to undertake. You can refer to the HSA website at any point or to some of our former blog posts which specifically focus on safety tips.
