The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published full and finalised offshore health and safety statistics for 2008-09, showing that not a single worker was killed in that period.
The figures confirm earlier ‘headline’ statistics published in August. It is the second consecutive year of no fatalities among offshore staff. At the same time, there were 30 major injuries reported, down 14 on the previous 12-month period.
The combined fatal and major injury rate fell to 106 per 100,000 workers in 2008-09, compared with 156 in 2007-08, and 146 in 2006-07. The highest number of injuries occurred in maintenance and construction work.
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But Steve Walker, the HSE’s head of offshore, pointed out that the loss of 17 workers in April last year in two separate air transport and maritime incidents – areas not regulated by the HSE – showed safety in the industry could not be taken for granted.
“While continuing to work to minimise the potential for large-scale incidents, the offshore industry must not forget the risks to workers from everyday activities such as lifting and carrying and maintenance work, which were responsible for the vast majority of all offshore injuries during 2008-09,” he added.
