Work-related injuries double in six years

Figures obtained from the Health and Safety Executive reveal serious work-related injuries to housing and welfare officers have increased steadily since 2002/03.

There were 94 injuries classed as either ‘major’ or that required more than three days off work in 2002/03. Six years later, in 2008/09, the last year for which figures are available, that number had soared to 206. In total, employers reported 1,140 injuries to the watchdog over the six-year period.
Staff suffered 154 injuries in 2008/09 that required them to take more than three days off work, compared with 74 in 2002/03. Major injuries, which could include fractures, loss of sight and wounds requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours, rose from 20 to 52 over the same period.

John Gray, Unison’s London housing association branch health and safety officer, said the figures were shocking.

Mr Gray admitted better reporting may have contributed to the increase but claimed it was actually ‘a vast under-reporting of the true scale of the problem’. He said the ‘vast majority’ of work-related injuries went unreported and many staff were off sick with occupational stress, which is not covered by Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

RIDDOR legally requires employers to report work-related deaths, diseases, major injuries and those requiring more than three days off work, and ‘near miss’ accidents.Slips or trips were behind almost half of the injuries to housing officers, with lifting and carrying the second most common cause. Other triggers included falls, assaults and animal attacks.

Sarah Davis, senior policy and practice officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, added that the figures might indicate a need to reinforce the message that employers need clear health and safety procedures and training for staff.

Physical assaults resulted in 93 injuries between 2002 and 2009. Only six occurred in 2008/09, a drop from previous years. Mr Gray said he felt many members of staff were encouraged not to report assaults by residents.

‘You are kind of blamed for not being professional enough to avoid being assaulted in the first place,’ he added.

A spokesperson for the National Housing Federation said: ‘It’s a concern that the number of injuries suffered by staff has increased, but this may indicate a greater awareness of safety issues and an increased willingness to report incidents.’

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