Even though things have improved slightly year-on-year, there is still a shocking number of workplace fatalities in Ireland. As can be seen from the infographic provided by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) below, the numbers are still too high.
The vast majority of the victims are men, although shockingly, there were four children killed in workplace accidents in the past year.
Drilling down further into the figures is revealing.
Despite improvements of over 20%, by far the most dangerous industrial sector to work in is agriculture and farming. While the number of fatalities has decreased to 16 from 21 in 2012, safety in the farmer's workplace is still a major concern.
Also, and due to the vagaries of the profession, fishing is often lethal. Seven people died in the fishing sector in 2012, decreasing to four in 2013, so again, in that sector, the tendency is downwards.
Going the wrong direction, however, is construction, which as an industry has had very low levels of activity in recent years but is the most dangerous industry after agriculture. Eleven people were killed on the job in 2013, an increase of 3 from the year 2012 or a 38% rise.
But that increase pales in comparison to the health and safety performance of the transportation system. In fact, the worst performing sector in terms of fatal accidents is transportation and storage, with a shocking 300% rise in work-related fatalities in 2013. Levels rose from 1 in 2012 to 4 in 2013.
Overall, accidents involving vehicles at work caused 20 fatalities out of 46 total accidents in 2013, or 43% of all accidents.
Aside from the emotional distress, poor health and safety pose risks to the business. Employers are legally required to eliminate hazards wherever possible and to exercise a duty of care toward their employees.
There are dangers in nearly everything we do, but accidents don't just happen; they are caused. Proper procedures and giving just one moment of time to safety considerations can make all the difference. Awareness is key.
Everybody in the workplace has a role to play in creating a safe environment. Pedestrians are vulnerable, but they put themselves and drivers at risk if they are not behaving responsibly.
Drivers need to always consider not just what's going on around their own vehicle but what is happening in the wider workplace.
Employers should give everybody a chance to stay safe by implementing health and safety procedures.
Nobody needs to die at work. Just as nobody wants to be involved in an accident.
To get top tips on a safer workplace for vehicles, visit the HSA website dedicated to workplace vehicle safety to download some free guides.
Image credit: http://www.vehiclesatwork.ie/
