The HSA has released a report compiling statistics for slip and fall accidents occurring in workplaces last year.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has issued a warning about slips and falls in the workplace after it was revealed that more than €22 million was awarded in compensation for slip and fall injuries in workplaces last year.
The Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority-Martin O’Halloran-made the statement to the press after a report was released by the Injuries Board which showed that in 2012, there were 807 assessments of injury compensation for accidents that occurred in workplaces accepted by the Board, which amounted to €22 million.
Over a third of the assessments of injury compensation for workplace accidents were attributable to avoidable slips and falls in the workplace. Mr O’Halloran urged employers to help prevent such injuries from happening by taking better precautions to protect employees. He referred to research that had been published in which it was indicated that employees take less care than they should at work as it is the employer’s responsibility to prevent slips and trips, and due to bad practices developed at home-especially when working at a height on ladders.
One in four workplaces that were surveyed by the HSA’s inspectors last year had not conducted a risk assessment to assess the dangers of slips and falls in the workplace, and that two of the highest accepted assessments of compensation for slips and falls in the workplace were in relation to fatal accidents that had been entirely preventable.
Other statistics that were presented to the press included:
-The average award for a workplace accident was €27,286. The average award for men was slightly higher at €27,657, while women received an average award of €26,456.
-Men are twice as likely as women to sustain a workplace injury with men accounting for 69 percent and women 31 percent of the accepted assessments for slips and falls in the workplace.
-The majority of awards were to workers in the 25 to 34 age group (32.2%) while over 1 in 5 (22.6%) were in the 35 to 44 age bracket. The vast majority of awards (82.6%) were under €38,000.
-For the second year in a row, Thursday was the most common day for workplace accidents while the least number of accidents occurred on Sunday. July saw the highest number of accidents in 2012.
-Slips, trips and falls were the most common accident type accounting for one third (33.6%) of all awards for workplace accidents.
Mr O’Halloran concluded the press conference by saying “Effective management of workplace safety and health not only protects workers from injury and ill-health, but also has the potential to save businesses thousands of euro. Proper management of workplace safety and health contributes to long-term commercial success and profitability. I would urge all business owners and directors to take some time this week to consider the safety systems they have in place and make sure not to leave anything to chance”.