HC Deb 18 November 1991 vol 199 cc47-9W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of accidents reported each year by all employers to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

Mr. Jackson

The available information is provided in the table.

Injuries to employees reported1 to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates
Year2 Manual handling injuries3 Back injuries Back injuries caused by manual handling Manual handling injuries reported to other HSE inspectorates4
1986–87 45,985 29,610 20,372 5
1987–88 46,967 29,958 21,031 2,208
1988–89 47,823 30,312 21,315 1,707
1989–90 49,231 30,693 21,706 1,304
1 Fatal, major and over three day injuries reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.
2 Years commencing 1 April.
3 Injuries caused by handling, lifting, carrying and awkward movement.
4 Reports made to HSE's mines, quarries, explosives and nuclear installations inspectorate.
5 Not available.

On 7 November the Health and Safety Commission published a consultative document containing proposals for regulations and guidance aimed at reducing this toll of injury. The proposals are also a response to the European Commission directive on manual handling the implementation of which is due by 31 December 1992.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of manual handling or back injury-related accidents reported each year by the

Occupational injuries reported to the Health and Safety Executive1, under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 19852 1986–87 to 1989–903
Number of injuries4
Year Employees Self-employed Members of public5 Total
1986–87 161,442 1,734 13,859 177,035
1987–88 157,831 2,068 11,953 171,852
1988–89 158,376 2,701 11,593 172,670
1989–90 161,884 3,221 10,251 175,356
1 Excludes injuries reported to local authorities and HSC agency inspectorates, namely the petroleum engineering division of the Department of Energy and the railway inspectorate.
2 Includes a small number of injuries reported to the explosives inspectorates under explosives legislation.
3 Year beginning 1 April.
4 Fatal, major and where appropriate, other injuries causing incapacity for work for more than three days.
5 Members of public injured as a result of someone else's work activity—over three-day injuries are not reportable for members of the public.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of manual handling or back injury-related accidents reported each year by all employers to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

Mr. Jackson

The total number of manual handling or back injury-related accidents reported each year by all employers to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 is set out in the table. Column 1 gives the number of manual handling injuries and column 2 the number of back injuries. Column 3 shows the number of back injuries which arise from manual handling injuries.

national health service to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

Mr. Jackson

The number of injuries reported each year by the national health service is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The table shows the total number of manual handling related or back injuries to employees occurring in all medical and other health services between 1986–87 and 1989–90.

Date of accident1 Number of reported2 injuries
Manual handling related3 Back injuries Back injuries caused by manual handling
1986–87 2,937 2,259 1,861
1987–88 4,113 3,124 2,644
1988–89 4,471 3,456 2,931
1989–90 4,943 3,768 3,202
1 Years beginning 1 April.
2 Fatal, major and other injuries causing incapacity for work for more than three days reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985.
3 Injuries caused by handling, lifting, carrying and awkward movement.

On the 7 November the Health and Safety Commission published a consultative document containing proposals for regulations and guidance aimed at reducing this toll of injury. The proposals are also a response to the European Commission directive on manual handling, the implementation of which is due by 31 December 1992.