MPs Call for Action to Tackle Increase in Work at Height Deaths

THE All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has expressed concerns after annual statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that fatal injuries, as a result of Working at Height, have risen significantly since 2018.

The Group is sponsored by the Access Industry Forum (AIF), a group of 11 trade associations and federations covering Working at Height.

The HSE Fatality Report

The HSE statistics show that a total of 147 workers were killed at work in 2018/2019, a rise of six fatalities from 2017/2018. It also revealed that 40 workers suffered a fatal injury as a result of a fall from height in 2018/2019, making this the single biggest cause of workplace fatal injuries in the UK.

In 2017/2018, 35 workers died due to a fall from height.

PASMA’s Managing Director, Peter Bennett

Commenting on behalf of the AIF, PASMA’s Managing Director, Peter Bennett said: “Whilst we welcome the UK continues to consistently have one of the lowest rates of fatal injury across the EU, the figures released today are still too high. There should be absolutely no question or doubt over workers’ ability to return home safely to their families every evening.”

These statistics come after the publication of the APPG’s first report in February this year, ‘Staying Alive: Preventing Serious Injury and Fatalities while Working at Height’. The report made several recommendations including: the introduction of enhanced reporting, the appointment of an independent body and an equivalent system to Scotland’s Fatal Accident Inquiry process.

Increase in Work at Height Deaths

Alison Thewliss MP

Chair of the APPG and MP for Glasgow Central, Alison Thewliss, commented: “These statistics show this issue is not going away. It is imperative that the Government takes forward the recommendations made in our report which have been devised with input from industry and key stakeholders

“We have already had a positive response from Government and the HSE, but time is of the essence when it comes to safety in the workplace, and we need to ensure these actions are taken forward as quickly as possible.”

Peter concluded, “We know that data collected does not accurately represent the true scale of ‘near misses’ in the workplace which is why we are calling for enhanced reporting methods, and an independent body who would confidentially collect data to inform industry and Government.”