Forty-one people suffered a suffered a major injury while working in Caerphilly County Borough last year, new figures show.
The Health and Safety Executive is urging businesses to focus on the safety of workers. The appeal comes as new figures show that eight people lost their lives while at work across Wales in 2012/13 and 1,068 suffered a major injury. This compares to 19 deaths and 1,192 major injuries the previous year.
In Caerphilly County Borough, 41 people suffered a major injury while at work. The previous year’s figures, from 2011/12, show there were 56 people seriously injured and one person died.
Across the UK, the number of deaths fell in the last year, with 148 people killed at work, compared to 171 deaths during 2011/12.
More than 20,600 workers also suffered a major injury in 2012/13, representing a 10.8 percent drop on the previous year. Five in every million workers were killed while at work between April 2012 and March 2013.
High-risk industries include construction which had 39 deaths last year, agriculture with 29 deaths, manufacturing with 20 deaths and waste and recycling with 10 deaths – making up over two-thirds of all workplace deaths in Great Britain during 2012/13.
Samantha Peace, HSE Regional Director for Wales said: “The families of those workers in Wales who lost their lives last year had to face Christmas without them and hundreds of other workers have had their lives changed forever by a major injury.
“Whilst the number of workplace deaths and major injuries has decreased nationally, these statistics highlight why we still need good health and safety in workplaces. I therefore urge employers to spend their time tackling the real dangers that workers face and stop worrying about trivial matters or pointless paperwork.
“It’s important to remember that while we still have one of the lowest rates of workplace deaths in Europe, one death is still one too many. I would urge businesses to focus on helping to cut the number of deaths further in 2014.”