Shattered Lives: Start your own campaign
April 1st 2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched its
'Shattered Lives' campaign, in February 2008 with
a two month advertising campaign to try and
create a step-change in the attitudes of both business
managers and their workers. The aim was to encourage
employers and employees alike to take responsibility
for preventing accidents to themselves and their
colleagues. Now the HSE is appealing to health and
safety professionals to play their role in making this
happen. The message is that everyone is responsible for
health and safety and it's dangerous to assume that
'somebody else will sort it out'
The figures are alarming: every week one person dies due
to a slip, trip or fall in the workplace and slips and trips
account for more than a third (38%) of all major
workplace injuries. During 2006/2007, they cost society
around £811 million.
Slips and trips can often be seen as funny but the
reality is that the consequences of these and falls from
height are serious and the injuries can be horrific. The
lives of workers and their families can be shattered by the
serious consequences of these accidents. Many workers
have been forced to find new means of employment and
others have lost their ability to earn, never able to return
work.
Five priority sectors
The 'Shattered Lives' campaign has specifically targeted
five priority sectors: construction; food and drink
manufacture; food retail; hotel and catering; and building
& plant maintenance. Of the almost 11,000 injuries
reported to the HSE last year from slips, trips and falls
from these sectors, nearly half (46%) were from the
construction, building and plant maintenance industries.
HSE advises health and safety professionals to ask
themselves not only whether health and safety systems,
policies and procedures are in place but to make sure that
they are actually working on the ground.
Start your own campaign
The HSE sees health and safety professionals as crucial to
the implementation of this change in attitudes and asks
that they take the role of campaigners within their
respective organisations. Key to implementing these
behavioural and cultural changes is getting the message
through to the entire workforce that health and safety is
everyone's responsibility. This could mean working closely
with human resources departments to introduce
strategies to ensure that individuals become accountable
for the health and safety of themselves and their
colleagues.
Resources have been produced to support health and
safety professionals in kick-starting 'Shattered Lives'
campaigns within their organisations and these include:
Leaflets
DVDs
Information packs
These resources are available through the 'Shattered Lives'
dedicated website:
www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives/resources.htm
or by calling the HSE's infoline on 0845 345 0055.
Preventing slips, trips and falls in construction,
building & plant maintenance:
Trips and falls are a special problem in construction. They
are the major cause of death in the industry. Financially,
the consequences of fatal and serious injuries can be
devastating for individual workers and their families.
Health and safety professionals need to ensure that:
Everyone on site looks out for the hazards they could
encounter and take a moment to help manage the risks
sensibly. A fall could be fatal or change lives forever
Traffic routes are segregated from pedestrian routes
The logistics of material supplies and movements are
considered (what is to be delivered, when, and where it
is to be stored), alongside waste control
Walkways and stairs should be kept free of tripping
hazards such as trailing wires and loose materials. This
is especially important for emergency routes
Work areas should be kept as clear as possible of
unnecessary materials, equipment, debris and other
hazards
Ensure principal contractors:
Have a system for the procurement and control of
contractors that includes arrangements to check the
competence of workers
Actively monitor the work of your subcontractors
Ensure their safety standards are the same as yours
Ensure all duty-holders:
Identify jobs that involve work at height and ensure
that appropriate safety precautions are in place
Have procedures for the selection of correct equipment
and ensure that the selected equipment is actually used
Communicate risk control measures to the workforce
Ensure workers are competent to use the equipment that
has been correctly installed/assembled
Arrange inspection and maintenance of equipment as
appropriate
Have a risk assessment in place that applies the Work at
Height Regulations hierarchy available on the HSE website
Plan how the site will be kept tidy
Slips, trips and falls in the food retail, food
manufacturing and catering and hospitality
industries:
Last year over a third of injuries from slips, trips and falls
reported to the HSE, originated in the food manufacturing
and food retail industries and in catering and hospitality.
Over 10 major injuries a week are reported to the HSE.
Slips and trips are a big issue especially where food
products are concerned but the HSE's years of experience
shows that slip prevention can be managed effectively and
can cut injuries by 50% or more.
By law, employers have to control the risks of slips,
trips and falls in the workplace, but anyone at work can
help to reduce slip and trip hazards. With an effective
management system in place and the co-operation of
colleagues, health and safety professionals can:
Work with colleagues to identify potential problem areas
and set goals for improvement
Give colleagues the knowledge to identify and take
action over potential risks ensuring they are aware that
it is everyone's responsibility
Make colleagues, including cleaning and contract staff,
responsible for specific areas
Make sure working practices and processes are being
carried out properly and keep a record of all cleaning
and maintenance work
Talk to your colleagues so they can feedback on how
measures are working
Stopping slips, trips and falls is everyone's responsibility,
but employees are unlikely to change their behaviour
without good support, the right equipment, training and
supervision. For more information about the campaign,
visit:
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