§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimate of the annual number of industrial accidents in relation to which the legal requirement of notification has been ignored by employers; and what proportion this is of the total number of industrial accidents.
§ Mr. John GrantI am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the information which has been requested is not available in the precise form required by my hon. Friend.
However, a survey was carried out in 1969–70 in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Security, when a comparison was made between accidents notified under the Factories Act 1961 and claims for industrial injury benefit. It was estimated at that time that over one quarter of accidents in respect of manufacturing industries, and about one half of accidents in respect of the construction industry, notifiable under the Factories Act 1961, were not reported. No more recent estimate is available.
In other fields of industry there is no accurate information available, though the degree of under-reporting under mines 276W measures operated by my Department and the Manpower Services Commission.
and quarries and railway legislation is believed to be minimal. The degree of under-reporting of accidents in premises subject to the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963 is not known, but is believed to be considerable.
§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends to make any procedural changes which will ensure that legally notifiable industrial accidents are actually notified; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John GrantI am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that proposals covering the notification of industrial accidents in all areas of work subject to the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 were published by the Commission in a consultative document "Proposals for the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences" in July 1977.
Following the receipt of comments on the document from many interested organisations, the HSE is now in the process of preparing draft regulations requiring the notification of accidents and dangerous occurrences. The regulations will apply to all areas of work subject to the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act, and are intended to ensure that all fatal and serious accidents are notified to the appropriate enforcing authority without delay. Other accidents which disable employed persons from work for more than three days will be notified to the enforcing authorities through the DHSS industrial injury benefit scheme where an employee claims industrial injury benefit.