671 incidents reported in 12 months
The number of reported accidents and attempted accidents in Aberdeen has risen dramatically over the past year. Is the city really becoming more dangerous?
Health and Safety Incidents
The UK prides itself as a benchmark country when it comes to health and safety. Cynics may talk about the “nanny state”, but the truth is that if you work in a high-risk industry such as construction, you are ten times more likely to die on the job in the US or Canada than in the UK.
In this way, the requirement to attend several safety briefings and display the appropriate health and safety signs may seem like a small price to pay. However, in one of the UK’s most important industrial cities, a worrying trend has emerged.
Record number of Aberdeen incidents
Aberdeen is the UK’s oil and gas capital, and as the city marks the 30th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, the city is putting health and safety at the forefront. As a result, it is alarming to learn that reported incidents have increased by 50% in the past year.
671 incidents were reported, compared to 450 last year, while the number of attempted incidents increased by a similar order of magnitude, from 386 to 541.
Slips and trips are the most common incidents
These figures were released by Aberdeen City Council last month and break down the incidents by type. While there has been a general increase, slips and trips have seen the greatest increase in what are considered “typical” health and safety incidents, up 67% year-on-year from 86 to 134.
However, this number is dwarfed by the increase in physical assaults, which rose from 141 to 253, an increase of about 80 percent year-over-year.
Are we really becoming more violent and clumsy?
These breakdowns provide the first clue as to what may be hiding behind the troubling statistics. Have people in Aberdeen really started beating each other up and falling down in the street in the past year? That seems unlikely.
People are more likely to be more comfortable with health and safety legislation than they were in the past, and contrary to incidents, the number of reports is rising. In years gone by, if someone tripped over a cable while going through road construction or got punched in the face by a drinker in a bar, they probably made a note of it and went about their day.
In 2018, we are more aware of our rights in terms of health and safety and the obligations of businesses and contractors to provide a safe environment for employees, customers, visitors and passers-by.
Taking health and safety seriously
Aberdeen is a city that is more aware than most of the importance of health and safety and the tragic consequences that can result from violations. These new statistics are a reminder that the public’s tolerance for any failure is lower than it has ever been. Local businesses would do well to take note and ensure that their procedures are adequate and effective.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
