HC Deb 30 January 1986 vol 90 cc609-10W
Dr. Godman

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the number of (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries to fishermen in each of the last 10 years (i) in total and (ii) per 1,000 employed in the fishing industry; and if he will give similar figures for deaths and injuries per 1,000 employed for the (A) mining, (B) construction and (C) farming industries for the same period.

Mr. Ridley

The number of deaths and accidents to fishermen on vessels of 24 m or more in length and the

Table 1 Accidental deaths
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Fishing Vessels 24m and over*
Number of deaths per 1,000 at 14 9 27 4 7 3 3 2 1
risk (3.0) (1.9) (6.4) (1.2) (2.2) (1.3) (1.1) (1.4) (1.4)
Fishing vessels under 24m*
Number of deaths per 1,000 at 16 19 18 35 21 22 14 19 11
risk (1.1) (1.4) (1.3) (3.5) (2.1) (1.8) (1.3) (1.7) (0.8)
Coal Mining
Number of deaths per 1,000 at 50 40 63 46 42 35 38 30 20
risk (0.2) (0.2) (0.3) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (0.2) (0.1)
Construction
Number of deaths per 1,000 at 156 130 126 128 134 105 102 118 100
risk (0.2) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1)
Farming
Number of deaths per 1,000 at 41 32 25 34 24 31 27 28 27
risk (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1)

Table 2 Non fatal accidents†
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Fishing Vessels 24m and over
Number of accidents per 1,000 at 813 609 573 413 207 97 90 64 73
risk (173) (135) (135) (121) (65) (42) (35) (43) (51)
Fishing Vessels under 24m
Number of accidents per 1,000 at
risk n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Coal mining‡
Number of accidents per 1,000 at 50,800 49,300 46,773 40,802 36,733 31,080 24,975 n.a. n.a.
risk (200) (195) (189) (168) (151) (134) (115) n.a. n.a.
Construction[...]‡
Number of accidents per 1,000 at 36,100 32,800 34,424 32,435 30,012 45,494 40,500 n.a. n.a.
risk (30) (28) (28) (26) (25) (42) (40) n.a. n.a.
Farming‡
Number of accidents per 1,000 at 5,200 4,800 4,600 4,100 4,200 8,141 7,355 n.a. n.a.
risk (18) (16) (15) (14) (14) (23) (21) n.a. n.a.

* Fishing deaths in table 1 include those recorded as missing at sea.

†"Accidents" in table 2 means the number of people injured.

‡ Accidents causing incapacity lasting for more than three days.

║Construction figures are for employees classified under MLH500 of the standard industrial classification.

n.a. =not available.

number of deaths on vessels under 24 m are published annually in the Department's booklet "Casualties to Vessels and Accidents to Men". Figures for accidents to fishermen on vessels under 24 m are not available. Since October 1985, however, serious accidents involving fishing vessels of 10 m or more in length have to be reported to my Department under the Fishing Vessels (Reporting of Accidents) Regulations 1985.

The following tables set out the information required for the years 1976 to 1984 (comparable figures for 1975 are not available and the figures for 1985 have not been finalised). The figures for the coal mining, construction and farming industries are based on information obtained from the Health and Safety Executive.