LATEST HEALTH AND SAFETY FIGURES FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has published its Annual Report and Accounts. This covers the period 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020.

This report shows a fall in the number of fatal accidents with 11 deaths in the latest year (down from 13 the previous year), an 11% fall in the number of major injuries (down to 290) and a 5% fall in the number of reportable injuries (down to 1,811).

Fatalities in agriculture showed a particularly sharp fall down from 7 in the previous year to 1 in the latest year, however other sectors saw an increase.

As with the figures for England, Scotland and Wales, based on five year statistics, falls from height were the biggest cause of workplace fatalities with 17 deaths.

Other common types of fatal accident included struck by a moving object (11 deaths), struck by a moving vehicle (9) and trapped by something collapsing / overturning (8) which is also similar to the position in England, Scotland and Wales. Where Northern Ireland differs in an increased percentage of fatal accidents involving animals (11 over the five-year period).

The figures also show HSENI carried out 5,399 inspections which resulted in 247 enforcement notices being issued. The Major Investigations Team led 14 successful prosecutions which resulted in fines totalling £602,500.

Full details can be found in HSENI’s annual report and accounts which can be found on the HSENI website at: https://www.hseni.gov.uk/publications/hseni-annual-report-and-accounts-20192020