Health and Safety (Hansard, 2 July 1990)

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will detail the number of(a) deaths, (b) major injuries, (c) minor injuries and (d) dangerous occurances in the construction industry for each year from 1974 to 1989.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The available information for Great Britain is provided in the tables. Data for the latest year commencing 1 April 1989 are not yet available.
471W

Injuries occurring within the construction industry, as reported to all Health and Safety Commission/Health and Safety Executive enforcing authorities

Year Employees Self-employed Non-employed

Fatal Major² Over three day³ Fatal Major² Over three day³ Fatal Major² Over three day³

¹1974 166 ⁶ 34,432 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

¹1975 182 ⁶ 35,397 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

¹1976 156 ⁶ 35,983 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

¹1977 130 ⁶ 32,685 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

¹1978 121 ⁶ 33,679 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

¹1979 119 ⁶ 31,654 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

¹1980 128 ⁶ 29,362 ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶ ⁶

1981 105 1,690 44,072 11 40 ⁶ 12 36 ⁶

1982 100 1,950 39,062 18 51 ⁶ 13 33 ⁶

1983 118 2,178 ⁶ 22 57 ⁶ 11 66 ⁶

1984 100 2,288 ⁶ 17 70 ⁶ 7 75 ⁶

1985 104 2,239 ⁶ 22 113 ⁶ 13 78 ⁶

⁴1986–87 99 2,736 16,468 26 443 704 14 162 ⁶

⁴1987–88 103 2,767 16,622 40 561 763 15 153 ⁶

^{4 5}1988–89 100 2,865 16,240 36 755 975 14 130 ⁶

¹ Injuries reported to Health and Safety Executive's Factory Inspectorate only.

² As defined under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 for the years 1981 to 1985 and under the wider definition of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 for subsequent years.

³ Injuries causing incapacity for work for more than three days reported directly to enforcing authorities under the Factories Act for the years 1974 to 1980 and under RIDDOR for the years 1986–87 onwards. Data for 1981–82 based on claims notified via the DHSS for industrial injury benefit.

⁴ Year commencing 1 April.

⁵ Provisional.

⁶ Not available.

Dangerous occurrences occurring within the construction industry
as reported to Health and Safety Executive's
factory and agricultural inspectorates¹

Date Number of dangerous occurrences²

1981 377

1982 378

1983 404

1984 368

1985 408

1986–87 637

1987–88 636

³1988–89 739

¹ As defined under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (NADOR) for the years 1981–85, and under the wider definition of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) for subsequent years.

² Details of accidents occurring in the construction industry reported to other authorities are not readily available.

³ Provisional.

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many sites have been given preventive workplace inspection by a Health and Safety Executive inspector(a) weekly, (b) monthly and (c) never, as a proportion of the total.

§ Mr. Nicholls
The information is not available in the form requested. Workplaces for which the Health and Safety Executive is the enforcing authority receive preventive inspections at intervals which vary according to risk and need, rather than at any fixed frequency.

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stretford, 24 April,Official Report, column 174, about health and safety offences, what criteria are used to decide whether a case is passed to the Crown prosecution service; and which body decides whether to initiate prosecutions for manslaughter.
472W

§ Mr. Nicholls
The nature of the offence is the main criterion used to decide whether a case should be passed to the Crown prosecution service or not. The character of the defendent may also be relevant. The Crown prosecution service decides whether or not a charge of manslaughter is appropriate.

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stretford, 15 May,Official Report, column 402, whether the Health and Safety Executive will consider initiating comparative research into accident or incident rates on (a) civil engineering and (b) construction projects within Europe; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Nicholls
There are no plans to do so at present.

Injuries occurring within the construction industry, as reported to all Health and Safety Commission/Health and Safety Executive enforcing authorities
Year	Employees	Self-employed	Non-employed
	Fatal	Major²	Over three day³	Fatal	Major²	Over three day³	Fatal	Major²	Over three day³
¹1974	166	⁶	34,432	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
¹1975	182	⁶	35,397	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
¹1976	156	⁶	35,983	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
¹1977	130	⁶	32,685	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
¹1978	121	⁶	33,679	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
¹1979	119	⁶	31,654	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
¹1980	128	⁶	29,362	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶	⁶
1981	105	1,690	44,072	11	40	⁶	12	36	⁶
1982	100	1,950	39,062	18	51	⁶	13	33	⁶
1983	118	2,178	⁶	22	57	⁶	11	66	⁶
1984	100	2,288	⁶	17	70	⁶	7	75	⁶
1985	104	2,239	⁶	22	113	⁶	13	78	⁶
⁴1986–87	99	2,736	16,468	26	443	704	14	162	⁶
⁴1987–88	103	2,767	16,622	40	561	763	15	153	⁶
^{4 5}1988–89	100	2,865	16,240	36	755	975	14	130	⁶
¹ Injuries reported to Health and Safety Executive's Factory Inspectorate only.
² As defined under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 for the years 1981 to 1985 and under the wider definition of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 for subsequent years.
³ Injuries causing incapacity for work for more than three days reported directly to enforcing authorities under the Factories Act for the years 1974 to 1980 and under RIDDOR for the years 1986–87 onwards. Data for 1981–82 based on claims notified via the DHSS for industrial injury benefit.
⁴ Year commencing 1 April.
⁵ Provisional.
⁶ Not available.

Dangerous occurrences occurring within the construction industry as reported to Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates¹
Date	Number of dangerous occurrences²
1981	377
1982	378
1983	404
1984	368
1985	408
1986–87	637
1987–88	636
³1988–89	739
¹ As defined under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (NADOR) for the years 1981–85, and under the wider definition of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) for subsequent years.
² Details of accidents occurring in the construction industry reported to other authorities are not readily available.
³ Provisional.