Yesterday, on World Day for Safety and Health at Work, BOHS, the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, called for more action to protect today’s workers from hazards on the workplace.
While the number of accident-related deaths is steadily decreasing, the number of people dying as a result of occupational ill health is still high.
According to HSE statistics, occupational ill health and disease accounts for 43% of all incidents, 84% of all related sickness absence and 99% of the 12,000 work-related deaths each year in the UK.
Steve Perkins, CEO of BOHS, said: “It would be nice to say that health hazards like asbestos, dust, lead, metal-working fluids, noise etc. are no longer an issue. But people still die from exposure to them. Not only do these risks still exist but new hazards are emerging in nanotechnology applications and bio-hazards from the growing waste management and recycling industry. Ultimately the biggest challenges are awareness and compliance.”
The Annals of Occupational Hygiene published by Oxford University Press for BOHS is providing free access to articles on the prevention of occupational disease. You can find them here.
