2006RUS

The government has been urged by the TUC to ignore calls from business to reduce health and safety “red tape”. This was after a report from the union body revealed that at least 20,000 people – the equivalent of the entire population of the Orkney Islands – die early because of their work each year, from illnesses such as occupational cancers and lung disorders, exposure to chemicals and fumes, and fatal car accidents.

Findings in the report show that many workers are also injured in the course of their work, pointing to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that while 246,000 injuries in the workplace should have been reported last year, many workplace accidents were not reported correctly and some injuries not at all.

The Case for Health and Safety report revealed that 1.2 million workers in the UK believe that they suffer from an illness relating to their work. These include stress, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders such as shoulder, neck and back pain and mental health issues including depression and anxiety.

The report disputed claims – which have led to calls from business for health and safety regulations or “red tape” to be reduced – that the workplace has become much safer now than it ever was.

The TUC has called on the Government to: ignore calls from the business lobby for the reduction of regulation and enforcement; champion this issue and appoint a Government “tsar” for health and safety; use the UK network of 150, 000 union health and safety representatives to greater effect; and support the work of the HSE and local authorities in protecting people at work.

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary said: “Despite the way that health and safety is often pilloried, for those who are made ill or injured in workplace accidents and for the relatives of those who have died as a result of their work, health and safety is no joke.

“Regulation works, as long as it is enforced, and it saves lives and prevents the contraction of unnecessary illnesses. That is why the UK continues to need strong regulation and enforcement. Every one of the 20,000 annual workplace-related deaths could have been prevented, and if the level of HSE and local authority funding is cut, the effects will be even more catastrophic.

“Fatalities are not just statistics – they are real people, with lives and families – and any fall in inspections and enforcement will lead to an increase in accidents, injuries and deaths, and will have a huge impact on the already grave problem of workplace diseases.

For specialist advice on how to get the compensation you deserve if you have sustained injuries because of work related illness or workplace accidents visit claimscareline.co.uk.

A lorry driver who drove into a drunken reveller is being sued under claims that he should have realised the reveller was drunk. A resident of South Croydon, Carl Heaven has filed a suit against Brian Williams and Containerlift Services claiming an “unlimited” amount of money in damages, having suffered multiple broken bones after he was hit by the back of a 44 tonne lorry.

The plumber claims that as a result of his painful injuries, he was unable to return to work for more than seven months. Mr Heaven’s lawyers argue that Mr Williams should have realised “given the time of night and their appearance”, that the plumber and his friend “were likely to be drunk and likely to behave unpredictably”.

Mr. Heaven’s solicitors contend that he should have “stopped completely or reduced his speed to a point where he was almost stationary”, so he could observe the pair of revellers using his wing mirrors. The legal team also added that the trucker should have realised the probability that his rear wheels could have collided with Mr Heaven.

At the time of the accident, Mr. Heaven, a 32-year-old plumber and his friend were both drunk on the High Street in Abingdon, Oxon at about 2.45am on June 20, 2007.

An employee at the Essex-based Containerlift Services, Mr. Williams was at the time of the accident taking a left turn from Bridge Street into the High Street. According to the police statement, this is when he says he saw the revellers “larking around” in the middle of the road.

After “waving” at Mr. Williams, a resident of the Isle of Wight, the revellers moved on to the kerb on the left side of the road, as the trucker drove past them. Mr. Heaven then claims that the back wheels of the lorry caught him and dragged him “a significant distance” along the road, leaving him with injuries including a broken left arm in three places, a broken right arm and right leg.

Having filed his personal injury claim on June 18 this year, Mr. Heaven could win damages worth thousands of pounds.

A hearing date has not yet been set for the case.

For specialist advice and to find out whether you might be entitled to make an accident claim, visit Duncan Gibbins Solicitors for personal injury claim advice.