In 2008/09, 180 employees were killed at work in Great Britain. 29.3 million working days were lost overall due to work-related ill health and workplace injury. In many cases, simple health and safety measures could have prevented the deaths, injury and ill health that cause significant personal and economic loss.
Eastbourne will be part of a new initiative between local Councils and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), when inspectors visit around 150 workplaces on industrial estates in Eastbourne, Wealden and Hastings.
Code-named CASE - 'Common Approach to Sussex Enterprise', the initiative will start on 22nd February 2010 and last for one week. Businesses will be advised of the initiative by letter, giving employers an opportunity to review their safety management and systems.
Inspections will focus on the assessment and control of the risks associated with workplace transport, manual handling, slips and trips, working at height and managing asbestos. Inspectors will be looking at how employers control risks, and will offer advice on complying with the law. However, inspectors will take enforcement action to deal with serious risks to health and safety and poor standards.
Under a new scheme, both local authority and HSE inspectors in Sussex are now warranted to take action to deal with health and safety problems in any workplace in any district. This ‘flexible warranting’ will bring closer links, more consistent enforcement and help inspectors share experience and best practice to reduce the numbers of injuries and deaths at work.
Cllr Steve Wallis, Portfolio Holder for Environment said “This initiative is part of a concerted effort by local authorities and the HSE to work together more effectively to ensure workplace hazards are adequately controlled. Businesses who have received a letter should take time to review how health and safety is being currently managed on their sites and take any remedial action required to ensure compliance with current health and safety legislation.”
Further information on health and safety issues can be found on HSE’s website or by calling HSE’s Infoline on 0845 345 0055
