Welsh workers remember their colleagues who were killed at work while the UK government plans to remove British laws which make workplaces safe
Meanwhile in Westminster, ministers are planning to trash British safety protections for workers in an ideological attack on standards.
International Workers' Memorial Day is observed every year by the Wales TUC. The First Minister and trade union leaders will lay wreaths and flowers to remember those who died whilst at work. Unions will recommit themselves to fight to protect all workers from death and injury at work.
This year, Workers Memorial Day takes on extra significance as out of touch ministers in London seek to strip Welsh workers of their right to safety at work with a new law, which has been dubbed the 'Anti-Protections Law'. The Bill is officially known as the 'Retained EU Law Bill' but this is misleading because the laws and regulations it seeks to remove are British laws passed by the British parliament, passed to protect us across a range of areas.
Matter of life and death
The Bill is of enormous concern because workplace health and safety can be a matter of life and death.
Three key examples of significant pieces of legislation that is at risk from this Bill:
- The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Currently 5,000 people a year die in Great Britain from asbestos-related diseases. These regulations provide a vital framework for the management of asbestos including for building owners and those removing it.
- The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This is a core element of the country’s health and safety regime and includes requirements on conducting risk assessments, appointing competent people and arranging training.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005. These protect workers by requiring proper planning of work, that those undertaking the work are competent and impose duties to avoid risks from fragile surfaces, falling objects and danger areas.
These three pieces of legislation provide “a snapshot of the protections at risk”.
Last year, across Britain, 123 workers killed in work-related accidents. On average, there are ten deaths a year in Wales as the result of a work-related accident. That's according to Health and Safety Executive statistics.
The rate of fatal injuries to workers in Wales is 0.42 per 100,000. This compares to 0.56 in Scotland and 0.38 in England. The highest rate in Britain is south west England with a rate of 0.63.
According to Hazards Campaign research the actual number of fatal injuries to workers across Britain is higher than the HSE's figure. In addition they point to:
- Around 50 incidents of workers killed at sea and in the air
- 5 incidents of workers killed on the railways
- Around 460 incidents of workers killed in road traffic accidents
- Around 600 suicides as the results of the pressure of work
These figures show how important it is that unions continue to place health and safety at the centre of their activities. As noted by the independent Fair Work commission for Wales, "Trade union and worker involvement has been crucial in the UK’s strong compliance with health and safety legislation." But, the threat to health and safety protections from the UK government plans that it is critical that unions continue to organise for health and safety in the workplace.
The Whole Story - Work-related injuries, illness and deaths - Hazards Campaign, 2021
Statistics - Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain (hse.gov.uk)
P49 Fair Work Wales - Report of the Fair Work Commission (gov.wales)