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Notification of Accidents
Employers are required to notify the "appropriate authority"
of accidents occuring within the premises.
In 1969, 86 accidents were reported to this authority as
against 88 in 1968, 109 in 1967 and 65 in 1966, an average of 87
accidents a year which indicates no appreciable fall in the
accident rate.
The problem, generally, is to find and educate those
persons who cause accidents to others. Unwittingly most of us
are in this category.
No fatal accidents were reported to this authority but it
must be pointed out that falls account for most of the fatal
accidents occuring in workplaces.
One accident could easily have been fatal. It concerned a
man of middle age. This employee returned to his place of work,
after an absence due to illness, in the early morning when it was
still dark. Whilst he had been absent, internal alterations to the
building had been commenced which included the removal of a
staircase and lighting points. The employee was familiar with
the general layout of the building and proceeded to where the
staircase had been to switch on the lights. Feeling for the light
switch, in its previous position, he fell into the staircase well,
landing on the floor of the basement. This employee was concussed
and badly bruised, and was detained in hospital.
His employers were prosecuted for not providing suitable
and sufficient lighting and failing to properly fence an opening
in a floor. The Magistrates rejected the employers' submission
that all due diligence had been exercised. The employers stated
that the employee had not informed them that he would be returning
to work on the day of the accident.
CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT 1961
This Act gives the Secretary of State power to make
Regulations on safety requirements and construction of certain
goods likely to cause death or personal injury.
Routine visits and some sampling have been carried out in
shops where oil heaters, nightdresses, stands for carry-out,
toys (celluloid or lead paint content), electric fires and other
appliances are sold. Some nightdresses were withdrawn pending
the attachment of a warning notice "Keep away from Fire".
The Act together with the Regulations, since coming into
force has undoubtedly made an impact, particularly on the manu-
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