The Work Environment Can Be A Hostile Place

The Work Environment Can Be A Hostile Place

The work environment can be a hostile place from time to time but there are many industries where the danger or risk of injury and the danger or risk of death is almost considered inevitable.

So, what are the most commonly worked professions that carry such high stakes? There are of course many but the ones that have the highest amount of employees risking their lives every day are as follows.

Worker fatalities by main industry

In agriculture

• 26 fatal injuries in 2008/09.
• That’s a rate of 5.7 deaths per 100 000 workers.
• This compares to a rate of 9.9 from 5 years previous.

In construction

• There were 53 fatal injuries 2008/09,
• With a rate of 2.4 deaths per 100 000 workers.
• The previous five years shows a rate of 3.4.
• There is an overall downward trend in the rate of fatal injury to workers

In manufacturing

• There were 32 deaths and the rate of fatal injury was 1.1 per 100 000 workers,
• The same as the average rate for the previous five years.

In the services

• There were 63 fatalities 2008,09.
• The rate of fatal injury in 2008/09 is the same as the average rate for the previous five years (0.3).

So, with these figures in mind, what is being done to prevent injuries of this nature happening and how have the figures changed for the better. Can we change these figures to no fatalities or will this always be a risk?

More people would die each year if we didn’t already have the Health and Safety Act in place but still, people are dying so more needs to be done.

In introduction of PPE has reduced risk and more people who have had an accident have survived and returned to work as normal. For example, construction workers have better equipment, better working conditions and they have the wear visibility jackets and hard hats and boots with steal toe caps but what if they fall from a height, will these things protect them?

The scaffolding used is better than it was many years ago and the training that is given is of a better standard and more intense but still accidents happen. In life we can’t avoid the occasional trip or equipment letting us down. All the preparation in the world cannot cancel out human error or machinery that breaks down unexpectedly.

The truth is, we cant stop all accidents, we can however follow the rules, wear the correct PPE and undertake all the training possible to reduce the risk of injury and death.

So if you work in a dangerous environment, follow the rules and take care.

Have a happy and safe work life.

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