Work place fatalities

The Health and Safety Commission have today released figures showing an increase in the number of people killed at work.

A total of 241 workers were killed in 2006/07 in comparison to 217 in 2005/06 and in the construction industry alone there were 77 fatalities compared to 60 the previous year.

The statistics were revealed on the same day the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act came into force which aims to tackle the issue of increasing workplace fatalities.

It is believed by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) that the increase in deaths has drawn attention to the need for better health and safety practices in the workplace.

David Urpeth, a lawyer specialising in accidents at work said: "The increase in workplace deaths is both tragic and hugely disappointing. Unless and until we have a proper system of reporting, inspection and enforcement we are unlikely to see any major improvement in the figures."