The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging business in Wales to put good health and safety practice at the top of their list of priorities as statistics show the provisional number of fatalities in Wales in 2006/07 has increased slightly over the previous 12-month period.

The figures, released today by the Health and Safety Commission, show that in Wales, there were 14 fatalities reported to all enforcing authorities in 2006/07, compared with 12 in the previous year. The slight increase follows two consecutive decreases since 2003/04.

In addition to worker fatalities, there were also eight fatalities amongst members of the public in Wales related to work activities, compared to five in the period 2005/06.

The eight fatalities included five in the services sector and one each in the agriculture, construction and extraction/utility supply sectors.

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HSE Director for Wales, Terry Rose, described the increase as disappointing, and said HSE still had a big job to do as even one death was one too many.

“We need businesses and self employed people to work with us to help arrest this increase and make Wales a safer place to work,” he said.

“With the Royal Welsh Show going on at the moment, it is pertinent to note that there were four fatalities in the agriculture sector in 2006/07, a figure which has remained constant since last year, and HSE has been present at the Royal Welsh and other agriculture shows to provide guidance to farmers on good health and safety practice.

“There were also two more fatalities in the construction industry in 2006/07 compared to the previous period, an increase from three to five. Construction is an extremely hazardous industry to work in, and apart from enforcement, HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and education to those working in construction.”

For Great Britain as a whole, there were 241 fatalities on 2006/07, compared with 217 for the 2005/06 period.

Nationally, falls from height remain the biggest cause of fatal injuries in 2006/07 with 45 deaths, followed by being struck by moving or falling object and being struck by moving or falling object (40 deaths) and being struck by a moving vehicle (30 deaths).

(JM/SP)