Construction Death Toll falls by 26% this year

Construction News are reporting that the number of construction workers killed in 2008/9 was down by 26% to 53 deaths. The figures show 33 deaths to employees and 20 to self employed persons.

The rate of injury was also down to 2.4 per 100,000 as opposed to the sector five year average of 3.4.

The new HSE Chief Inspector for Construction Phillip White said:-

We very much welcome any reduction in the number of construction workers being fatally injured. But the fact that 53 construction workers failed to come home from their jobs last year because of avoidable safety failings is a terrible tragedy, not a cause for celebration. It is too soon to say that this part of an acceleration of the long-term downward trend or to pin point any single reason why the number of fatalities has fallen.

Construction Death Figures for the last five years;

2007/8 72 deaths
2006/7 79 deaths
2005/6 60 deaths
2004/5 69 deaths
2003/4 71 deaths