Counting the Cost of Workplace Accidents

Working around heavy items, moving vehicles and hazardous materials is always going to leave you and your employees open to a degree of chance of suffering a workplace accident. With the rising costs of workplace insurance and paying compensation claims or providing pay for time off after an accident, businesses are often seeking to save money wherever possible. However, given recent statistics released by the Health and Safety Executive, cutting the budget for employee clothing looks more counter-productive than ever. Compared to the financial and human cost of preventable accidents, garments available from Your Workwear represent great value for money, and peace of mind.

Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly reported types of injury in 2012/2013.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Workplace Slips Trips & FallsIn 2012/2013 Slips and trips were the most common cause of major injuries to employees, with falls from height the next most common.

Slips, Trips and Falls were responsible for more than half of all major (56%) and almost a third of over seven day (31%) injuries to employees, making up 37% of all reported injuries to employees (RIDDOR).

The latest estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS2) show the rate of injuries due to:
Slips or trips was 200 per 100 000 workers; and falls was between 49 and 78 per 100 000 workers.

Slips, trips and falls have a combined estimated number of lost working days of 2 million (slips and trips: an estimated 1,332,000 working days lost; falls: estimated 750,000 working days lost. (LFS)

With many of these accidents being contributable to the working environment and workers not wearing the correct footwear, many of these accidents are entirely preventable. Consider the cost to your business if one of your employees was to slip as a result of inadequate footwear, the cost of time off, compensation and possible insurance rises. With affordable and practical footwear from Your Workwear, ranging from Wellington boots to Safety boots, we will have footwear that will improve your workers footfall safety and reduce the chances that they will be injured as a result of a slip or fall at work.

Moving Vehicle Injuries

Moving Vehicle InjuriesReportable vehicle injuries typically happen on work premises, including car parks and loading bays. An injury involving being struck by a vehicle is likely to be serious.

Sadly, 11 workers suffered a fatal workplace vehicle injury, in 2012/13.

Of all the workplace vehicle injuries, 450 were major, 1,045 caused workers to require over 7 days off work and sadly 11 were fatal. This is a total of 1,506 accidents. A figure which could have been lowered if people were wearing suitable Hi-Viz items of clothing. Being seen is imperative to the safety of all persons that have to work around moving vehicles in the workplace. If drivers cannot see their colleagues they are at great risk of being hit by the vehicle, as its operator tries to carry out their duties. With a range of customisable Hi-Viz Vests, Jackets, Overalls and other garments, Your Workwear can offer low cost brand awareness alongside safety awareness and help you to protect your employees working around vehicles.

As well as a full range of safety items, we also stock other customisable uniform garments, making Your Workwear the only place you need to trust with your company clothing requirements.