Buckingham businesses suffer their fare share of workplace injuries running in to several thousand each year despite the gradual tightening up of health and safety legislation and the severe penalties for employers not toeing the line.

In the UK as a whole, there are still 1.6 million workplace injuries every year as well as 2.2 million cases of ill health caused or made more by work. And yet only some 40% of major workplace accidents are reported.

It is estimated that, nation wide, 1.2 million people are suffering from muscular-skeletal disorders (such as back pain and repetitive strain injuries) caused by their work. The tragedy is that 70 per cent of workplace accidents could be prevented if employers put proper safety control measures in place.

It's a strange statistic but car and van drivers who cover 25,000 miles a year as part of their job have the same risk of being killed at work as coal miners.

Around 6,000 workplace burn injuries are reported each year and some 1.3m workers are regularly exposed to noise levels above 8DH(A), which puts them at risk of damage to hearing. There are around 2,000 cases of accidents involving chemicals at work reported every year.

The rate of fatal and major injuries in firms employing fewer than 50 employees is over twice the rate in firms employing more than 1000 people.

Up to 400,000 people are believed to be suffering from asthma caused by their work, and it has been estimated that there are at least 1,000 new cases of occupational asthma each year. And there are estimated to be 50,000 to 100,000 cases of occupational dermatitis every year. In fact, skin disorders are the most common of occupational diseases.

Unfortunately not every employer is aware that maximum penalties for breaching health and safety legislation are unlimited fines and up to two years in prison.

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Andrew Leech, Cross Reference Tel: 01753 884216