§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many specialist inspectors work in each of the seven field consultant groups in the disciplines of(a) construction, (b) electrical, (c) occupational hygiene, (d) chemical, (e) mechanical and (f) explosives.
§ Mr. ForthThe number of specialists in each discipline for each field consultant group is shown in the table.
§ Mr. ForthThe information requested is not available for 1974 and 1985. Injuries involving boars cannot be separated from cattle and the number of injuries in agriculture involving bulls, other cattle and boars reported to the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates for 1988–89 and 1989–90 is provided in the table together with the proportion of total injuries reported in agriculture that they represent:
Year1 and employment status Severity of injury Fatal Major Over 3 day Total 1988–89 Employee 2 22 51 75 Self-employed 2 8 8 18 Non-employed — 5 3 5 Percentage of injuries in agriculture 7 6 5 5 1989–902 Employee — 26 45 71 Self-employed — 7 5 12 Non-employed 2 2 3 4 Percentage of injuries in agriculture 4 7 4 5 1 Year commencing 1 April. 2 Provisional. 3 Not reportable.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many Health and Safety Executive staff are working specifically on the ergonomics of agricultural machinery.
§ Mr. ForthAt present there are no Health and Safety Executive staff working specifically on the ergonomics of agricultural machinery. However, the matter is one that is taken fully into account by inspectors during the course of inspection visits to agricultural premises and, more particularly, during visits to manufacturers and importers when considering compliance with section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
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§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what backlog of uninspected premises exists for the Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectorate.
§ Mr. ForthThere is no backlog. The agricultural inspectorate uses an inspection rating system to help target its preventive inspection programme but this is also influenced by seasonal factors, peripatetic activities and the employment status of premises.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectorate are taken for not using appropriate guards on machinery.
§ Mr. ForthInformation is only readily available for 1987–88; in that year 151 out of 416 prosecutions taken by Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate were in connection with the fencing and construction of machinery. Information for more recent years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.