To mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April), National Accident Helpline is showing its support to raise awareness of the injustices seen across many workplace industries.
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a remarkable initiative, which promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. While there are strict rules and regulations in place to mitigate fatal injuries, in 2020-21 alone there were 142 workers killed across various industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and construction. What’s more, a staggering 441,000 people sustained a non-fatal workplace injury.
In 2021 the personal injury experts uncovered worrying research surrounding the construction sector. It was revealed that workers fear the potential repercussions if they were to speak out and make a claim after suffering from an injury at work, through no fault of their own. Examples of feared consequences if they were to claim included job loss, a bad atmosphere at work or future employment concerns if news that they’d made a claim got around to other employers.
To help tackle the issue and raise awareness, ‘Rights on Site’ was born – a campaign actively calling on the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to do more and challenge unfair treatment on site.
Jonathan White, Legal and Compliance Director at National Accident Helpline, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe at work, no matter what industry they work in. The fact is, if someone is afraid to speak out about an accident or make a claim, who’s to say the accident won’t happen again, but with worse consequences?
“This is why it’s so crucial that these issues are addressed in the right way. If an accident happens, companies can put in appropriate measures and learn from it before it’s too late. We fully support everything that this day stands for and pay our respects to those who have lost their lives or have been injured while on the job.”
For more information please visit: https://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/news/post/construction-workers-fear-repercussions-speaking-out