HC Deb 03 May 1978 vol 949 cc164-73W
Mr. Grocott

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the five most dangerous forms of employment as measured by the number of people killed at work during 1977.

Mr. John Grant

The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that the information is not available in the precises form required. Accidents are reported to the Health and Safety Executive under legislation passed before the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act came into force, and information on fatalities not covered by this legislation is incomplete. No information is available by occupation, only by the Act under

Number of fatalities Incidence rate per 100,000 at risk 1976
1977 1976
1. Factories Act:
Manufacturing industry of which: … … … … … 183 175 3.4
Food, drink and tobacco … … … … 21 17 3.1
Coal and petroleum products … … … … 6 5 18.8
Chemicals and allied industries … … … 15 18 6.9
Metal manufacture … … … … … 44 34 9.3
Mechanical engineering … … … … 19 24 3.9
Instrument engineering … … … … 1 — —
Electrical engineering … … … … … 5 7 1.4
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 16 18 13.6
Vehicles … … … … … … … 6 5 1.0
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … … 11 10 2.5
Textiles … … … … … … … 10 3 (a)
Leather, leather goods and fur … … … 1 — —
Clothing and footwear … … … … … 1 2 (a)
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … … 6 16 7.8
Timber, furniture, etc. … … … 6 7 3.5
Paper, printing and publishing … … … 8 7 1.9
Other manufacturing industries … … … 7 2 (a)
Construction industry … … … … … 142 156 15.7
Other industries … … … … … … 44 51 N.A.
Total Factories Act … … … … 369 382 N.A.
2. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act … … … N.A. 20 N.A.
3. Explosives Act … … … … … … … 1 6 N.A.
4. Regulation of Railways and Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Acts (b) … … … … … … 43 46 18.8
5. Mines and Quarries Act:
Coal mines … … … … … … … 40 50 19.6
Mines of stratified ironstone, oil shale or fireclay … — — —
Miscellaneous mines … … … … … 2 8 N.A.
Quarries (c) … … … … … … … 12 16 32.8
Total Mines and Quarries Act … … … 54 74 N.A.
6. Agriculture (Safety, Health and Provisions) Act (d) … … 32 41 14.1
Notes:
(a) Incidence rates based on less than 5 fatal accidents are unreliable.
(b) Accidents to staff employed by British Rail, London Transport and Freightliners Ltd.
(c) Including opencast mines.
(d) Based on "employees" only.
Sources:
Sectors 1–3: Health and Safety Executive.
Sector 4: Department of Transport.
Sector 5: Health and Safety Executive; National Coal Board; Business Statistics Office.
Sector 6: Health and Safety Executive; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland

Mr. George Rodgers

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which industries have had the highest number of accidents in each of the past five years; and if he will show the figures as a percentage of the active workforce in the industries concerned.

which the fatality resulting from accidental injury at work was reported.

The table below gives the number of fatalities reported in 1977 together with those reported in 1976 and incidence rates per 100,000 at risk for the earlier year in sectors where the numbers at risk are available.

Incidence rates for 1977 are not yet available.

Mr. John Grant

The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that the information is not available in the precise form required. Accidents are reported to the Health and Safety Executive under legislation passed before the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act came into force, and information on accidents not covered by this legislation is incomplete.

The table below gives the number of accidents reported and incidence rates per 100,000 at risk for each of the years 1972 to 1976 inclusive. It should be pointed out that strict comparison of incidence rates by sector is not possible

TABLE: TOTAL NUMBER OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENCE RATES PER 100,000 AT RISK, 1972–73(a)
1972
Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
1. Factories Act:
Manufacturing Industry … … … … 194,579 3,520
of which—
Food, drink and tobacco … … … 23,287 4,240
Coal and petroleum products … … … 1,792 7,060
Chemicals and allied industries … … … 9,169 3,660
Metal manufacture … … … … 25,642 6,560
Mechanical engineering … … … … 25,106 3,950
Instrument engineering … … … … 1,401 1,340
Electrical engineering … … … … 12,005 2,440
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 9,387 6,700
Vehicles … … … … … … 16,844 3,030
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 15,443 3,740
Textiles … … … … … … 13,146 2,870
Leather, leather goods and fur … … … 822 2,280
Clothing and footwear … … … … 2,985 810
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … 12,136 5,290
Timber, furniture, etc. … … … … 7,475 3,580
Paper, printing and publishing … … … 9,714 2,390
Other manufacturing industries … … … 8,224 3,350
Construction industry … … … … … 37,172 3,650
Other industries … … … … … 26,386 n.a.
Total Factories Act … … … … 258,137 n.a.
2. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act … … 18,063 n.a.
3. Explosives Acts (b) … … … … … 48 n.a.
4. Regulation of Railways and Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Acts (c) … … … 5,664 2,790
5. Mines and Quarries Act:
Coal mines (d) … … … … … … 58,947 20,470
Mines of statified ironstone, oil shale or fireclay (e) … 6 n.a.
Miscellaneous mines … … … … … 725 n.a.
Quarries (f) … … … … … … 2,266 6,140
Total Mines and Quarries … … … 61,944 n.a.
6. Agriculture (g) … … … … … … 6,752 n.a.
1973
Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
1. Factories Act:
Manufacturing Industry … … … … 209,699 3,710
of which—
Food, drink and tobacco … … … 24,569 4,570
Coal and petroleum products … … … 1,919 7,830
Chemicals and allied industries … … … 9,994 3,830
Metal manufacture … … … … 28,160 7,140
Mechanical engineering … … … … 26,442 4,120
Instrument engineering … … … … 1,473 1,390
Electrical engineering … … … … 13,438 2,530
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 9,401 6,870
Vehicles … … … … … … 18,253 3,200
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 17,523 4,020
Textiles … … … … … … 14,330 3,110
Leather, leather goods and fur … … … 823 2,280
Clothing and footwear … … … … 3,158 870

as it is believed that accidents directly reported under the Factories Act and the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act are subject to a higher degree of underreporting than those for the other sectors shown and could, therefore, be comparatively understated.

Number of accidents and incidence rates for 1977 are not yet available.

Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … 12,416 5,330
Timber, furniture, etc. … … … … 7,951 3,530
Paper, printing and publishing … … … 10,365 2,590
Other manufacturing industries … … … 9,484 3,590
Construction industry … … … … … 37,920 3,540
Other industries … … … … … 24,899 n.a.
Total Factories Act … … … … 272,518 n.a.
2. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act … … 17,742 n.a.
3. Explosives Acts (b) … … … … … 55 n.a.
4. Regulation of Railways and Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Acts (c) … … … 5,912 3,010
5. Mines and Quarries Act:
Coal mines (d) … … … … … … 66,141 24,630
Mines of stratified ironstone, oil shale or fireclay (e) 5 n.a.
Miscellaneous mines … … … … … 564 n.a.
Quarries (f) … … … … … … 2,265 4,690
Total Mines and Quarries … … … 68,975 n.a.
6. Agriculture (g) … … … … … … 6,172 1,970
1974
Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
1. Factories Act:
Manufacturing Industry … … … … 199,090 3,520
of which—
Food, drink and tobacco … … … 24,990 4,340
Coal and petroleum products … … … 1,718 6,980
Chemicals and allied industries … … … 9,825 3,680
Metal manufacture … … … … 26,685 6,960
Mechanical engineering … … … … 25,772 3,980
Instrument engineering … … … … 1,473 1,440
Electrical engineering … … … … 12,547 2,250
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 8,939 7,000
Vehicles … … … … … … 17,371 3,090
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 16,949 3,830
Textiles … … … … … … 12,447 2,770
Leather, leather goods and fur … … … 745 2,120
Clothing and footwear … … … … 2,699 770
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … 11,474 4,890
Timber, furniture, etc. … … … … 6,946 3,330
Paper, printing and publishing … … … 10,064 2,460
Other manufacturing industries … … … 8,444 3,150
Construction industry … … … … … 34,598 3,330
Other industries … … … … … 23,242 n.a.
Total Factories Act … … … … 256,930 n.a.
2. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act … … 16,669 n.a.
3. Explosives Acts (b) … … … … … 24 n.a.
4. Regulation of Railways and Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Acts (c) … … … 5,592 2,770
5. Mines and Quarries Act:
Coal mines (d) … … … … … … 49,305 19,310
Mines of stratified ironstone, oil shale or fireclay (e) — —
Miscellaneous mines … … … … … 539 n.a.
Quarries (f) … … … … … … 2,003 3,900
Total Mines and Quarries … … … 51,847 n.a.
6. Agriculture (g) … … … … … … 5,742 1,890

1975
Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
1. Factories Act:
Manufacturing Industry … … … … 184,324 3,580
of which—
Food, drink and tobacco … … … 23,355 4,370
Coal and petroleum products … … … 1,761 6,570
Chemicals and allied industries … … … 9,239 3,640
Metal manufacture … … … … 24,164 6,350
Mechanical engineering … … … … 25,731 4,110
Instrument engineering … … … … 1,418 1,490
Electrical engineering … … … … 11,537 2,320
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 8,385 6,180
Vehicles … … … … … … 16,215 3,100
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 15,484 3,800
Textiles … … … … … … 11,077 2,750
Leather, leather goods and fur … … … 731 2,140
Clothing and footwear … … … … 2,646 810
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … 9,942 4,750
Timber, furniture, etc. … … … … 6,363 3,200
Paper, printing and publishing … … … 8,655 2,270
Other manufacturing industries … … … 7,621 3,130
Construction industry … … … … … 35,579 3,460
Other industries … … … … … 23,237 n.a.
Total Factories Act … … … … 243,140 n.a.
2. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act … … 17,198 n.a.
3. Explosives Acts (b) … … … … … 33 n.a.
4. Regulation of Railways and Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Acts (c) … … … 5,781 2,920
5. Mines and Quarries Act:
Coal mines (d) … … … … … … 53,962 20,940
Mines of stratified ironstone, oil shale or fireclay (e) 4 —
Miscellaneous mines … … … … … 579 n.a.
Quarries (f) … … … … … … 1,889 3,730
Total Mines and Quarries … … … 56,434 n.a.
6. Agriculture (g) … … … … … … 5,230 1,800
1976
Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
1. Factories Act:
Manufacturing Industry … … … … 181,065 3,480
of which—
Food, drink and tobacco … … … 24,163 4,460
Coal and petroleum products … … … 1,724 6,480
Chemicals and allied Industries: … … … 10,180 3,910
Metal manufacture … … … … 22,326 6,100
Mechanical engineering … … … … 23,562 3,850
Instrument engineering … … … … 1,274 1,380
Electrical engineering … … … … 10,709 2,200
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 8,508 6,420
Vehicles … … … … … … 16,004 3,060
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 14,495 3,570
Textiles … … … … … … 11,585 2,910
Leather, leather goods and fur … … … 729 2,060
Clothing and footwear … … … … 2,614 820
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … 9,793 4,780
Timber, furniture, etc. … … … … 6,519 3,250
Paper, printing and publishing … … … 9,061 2,450
Other manufacturing industries … … … 7,819 3,150
Construction industry … … … … … 36,139 3,530
Other industries … … … … … 24,481 n.a.
Total Factories Act … … … … 241,685 n.a.
2. Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act … … 18,359 n.a.
3. Explosives Acts (b) … … … … … 53 n.a.
4. Regulation of Railways and Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Acts (c) … … … 5,620 2,920

Total number of reported accidents Incidence rates per 100,000 at risk of total reported accidents
5. Mines and Quarries Act:
Coal mines (d) … … … … … … 50,560 19,870
Mines of stratified ironstone, oil shale or fireclay (e) 2 —
Miscellaneous mines … … … … … 767 n.a.
Quarries (f) … … … … … … 1,690 3,460
Total Mines and Quarries … … … 53,019 n.a.
6. Agriculture (g) … … … … … … 5,247 1,800
Notes:
(a) Not all accidents in this table are compulsorily reported, see (d) and (g) below.
(b) Including accidents to non-employees and accidents not involving absence from work of more than three days.
(c) Accidents to staff employed by British Rail, London Transport, and Freightliners Ltd. are used in the numerator; employees engaged in the operation of British Rail, London Transport and Freight-liners Ltd. are included in the denominator.
(d) Non-fatal accident and incidence rates figures refer to mines operated by the National Coal Board, which employs 99 per cent. of the labour force engaged in coal mining. Figures supplied by the National Coal Board.
(e) Figures of more than three days injuries are not available. The figures given are for fatal and serious (reportable) accidents only.
(f) Including opencast coal sites.
(g) Details relating to non-fatal injuries are supplied by the Department of Health and Social Security and are based on notifications accepted by that Department under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act.
Sources:
Sector 1–3: Health and Safety Executive.
Sector 4: Department of Transport.
Sector 5: Business Statistics Office; Health and Safety Executive; National Coal Board.
Sector 6: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.