§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents were reported to Her Majesty's factory inspectors in the 12 months ended 30th September 1978 which could be attributed to lifting heavy loads; and how many of these resulted in injury to the spine.
§ Mr. John Grant:The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission advises me that when annual statistics of reported accidents for 1978, based on a new coding system, are analysed, there will be some information available on lifting accidents resulting in back injury. However, no information is available in the form requested for earlier years.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) when he anticipates that the Health and Safety Executive will publish a code of practice for the lifting of weight how long it has now been studying the question; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he now considers the maximum weight permitted to be lifted by agricultural workers of 180 lbs. to be excessive;and if he will repeal or modify the relevant regulations;
(3) what plans the Health and Safety Commission has for revising the Health and Safety Booklet No. 1, "Lifting and Carrying".
§ Mr. John Grant:I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that as a result of the examination which has been undertaken since 1975 by the Health and Safety Executive of manual lifting and handling matters, the Commission will consider early in the new year what steps to take with regard to the existing legislation and the issue of advisory material. Amongst the matters which the Commission will be reviewing will be the existing regulations concerning the maximum weight to be lifted in agriculture and the question of the 414W weight which an agricultural worker might lift with reasonable safety. It will also be considering in what way the guidance in the health and safety booklet on "Lifting and Carrying" should be revised.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of accidents reported in 1977 and attributable to the lifting of heavy loads were investigated by Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate.
§ Mr. John Grant:The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission advises me that this information is not available.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the position regarding the proposed codifying of regulations covering lifting equipment; and when he expects the regulations to be laid before Parliament.
§ Mr. John Grant:I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the proposals for codified regulations on lifting gear which the Commission published in a consultative document last year are being radically reconsidered in the light of the comments which were made on them, and that the Commission is awaiting the completion and issue of a series of EEC directives on lifting appliances before making any proposals for codification of the legislation concerning them. It is not at present possible to forecast when any new regulasions about lifting gear or appliances might be ready to be laid before Parliament.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been brought under section 72 of the Factories Act 1961 since its enactment.
§ Mr. John Grant:I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that no such prosecutions were brought in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Information on earlier years is not at present available.