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News Release from: Health and Safety Executive | Subject: HELA Health and Safety Activity Bulletin 2004
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 August 2004
Statistics Of Inspection And Enforcement
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) publishes Statistics Of Inspection And Enforcement In Local Authority Enforced Sectors for 2002/03
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) today publishes the latest statistics on inspection and enforcement action in local authority (LA) enforced sectors in 2002/03 - HELA Health and Safety Activity Bulletin 2004 The document can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/index.html There are no substantial changes in trends in inspection and enforcement by local authority inspectors
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 13 Jul 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The statistics show a continued marginal decline in the number and rate of inspection visits, and in enforcement activity.
However there was an increase in inspector numbers.
There was also evidence of increased priority being given to visiting wholesale premises and residential homes, where the risks of both fatal and non-fatal injury are high.
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In 2002/03, local authorities (LAs) reported they enforced health and safety in around 1.2 million premises.
There has been no substantial change in this number over the past five years.
Within the total, the number of retail premises in 2002/03 has dropped by 9% to 403,000, from 445,000 in 1998/99.
Many local authority inspectors combine health and safety duties with other public protection work.
The full-time equivalent (FTE) number of health and safety inspectors increased by 7% in 2002/03, to 1130.
Over the previous five years the numbers of FTE inspectors had decreased year on year, from 1210 in 1998/99 to 1060 in 2001/02.
LA inspectors made 260,000 visits during 2002/03, compared with 266,000 in 2001/02.
Of this 260,000, 153,000 were preventive inspections involving a full inspection of health and safety standards, and a further 19,000 were to investigate the circumstances surrounding workplace accidents.
In 2002/03, the rate of visiting per 1000 premises was 221, compared with 229 in 2001/02, and has steadily declined throughout the 1990's.
Within the falling rate of visiting, LAs are maintaining or increasing the relative priority of visits in wholesale premises and residential care homes, where risks of injury are high.
In residential care homes, fatal injuries to members of the public have increased from an average of 5 per year between 1997/98 and 2000/01, to 19 in 2001/02 and 18 in 2002/03.
In wholesale, there is a high rate of fatal injury to employees, when compared to the average for the mainly LA enforced sectors (more than 2.5 times greater).
During 2002/03, LAs issued 5780 enforcement notices, compared with 5960 the previous year, a fall of 3%.
The overall rate of issuing enforcement notices (per 1000 premises) has remained relatively stable since 1998/99 and is highest in the wholesale industry (15 notices per 1000), which is almost three times the average (5 per 1000).
LAs secured 285 convictions in 2002/03, from 296 informations laid/complaints taken, leading to an average fine of ?4100 per conviction.
This compares with an average fine per conviction of £3134 in 2001/02.
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