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Work accident news
17/04/2007
Every 40 minutes The rate at which young people are injured at work
For young people eagerly looking to gain a foothold on the employment ladder, the likelihood of an accident at work is probably of minimal concern when set against the wider background of desiring a well-paid job. However, figures from the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH) make for worrying reading.
According to IOSH, over 14,500 teenagers have sustained workplace injuries in the last decade. In addition to this figure, a further 66 have been involved in fatal accidents.
In response to these alarming statistics, IOSH has forged a six-point plan, calling for improved health and safety checks in the workplace, as well as a program designed to increase training and education surrounding health and safety issues in the work place.
IOSH president, Lisa Fowlie, has found support for her plan in high places. Prime Minister, Tony Blair offered his support, saying that the onus was on making young people, more aware of the potential hazards of the workplace.'
Michael Clapham MP, chairman of the All-Party Occupational Safety and Health Parliamentary Group is calling for fresh debate in the House of Commons. He said, "The large numbers of deaths and injuries of young people in the workplace is an appalling tragedy, involving wasted young lives and misery. But all this is preventable. Young people at the beginning of their working lives through lack of experience and health and safety training are particularly vulnerable to workplace hazards."
According to The Trade Unions Congress (TUC) [www.tuc.org.uk], one 16-24-year-old worker in Britain sustains personal injury every 40 minutes, with over 4,000 seriously injured in the workplace every year. It is a saddening fact that many of these injuries are down to preventable causes such as electrocutions, falls, road accidents, burns and crush injuries.
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary highlighted the potential dangers of summer jobs being a hotbed for accidents at work, saying, "Summer-jobs are a great way for young people to gain some extra cash and important life and work experience, but they are not worth dying for. No young person should die or be seriously injured because their employer failed to take simple steps to ensure their safety. And no young person's first job should be their last."
For many young people who have suffered a personal injury as a result of an accident at work, using the services of a no win no fee solicitor often represents their best chance at making a successful compensation claim.
