§ Mr. Owenasked the Minister of Labour how many man days were lost in 1957 by industrial accidents; and what steps are being taken to deal with this problem.
§ Mr. WoodFigures of the man days lost in 1957 because of industrial accidents are not yet available. The latest figures are those for the year ending June, 1956, which show that about 17 million man days were lost on account of industrial accidents.
It is not possible in a short statement to cover all aspects of the work done by my Department to prevent accidents and promote industrial safety. It includes the general activities of the Factory Inspectorate in securing observance of the safety provisions of the Factories Acts and related legislation, review and revision of this legislation to take account of industrial developments affecting safety, advisory leaflets and booklets, investigation into special problems, advice to employers and workers, development of safety training and other matters. In addition to the work done by my Department many employers give much attention to promoting safety in their works and organisations at national and district level in many industries assist employers and workers to secure improved standards of safety.
A detailed account of the work is presented annually to Parliament in the Reports of the Chief Inspector of Factories.