DUGHER LINE IS EEDED ON SAFETY I It was interesting
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to read e article "Workshop Conferee Report" (CM 29 Septemr), Linda Williams, the Prin)al Inspector of Factories for e Health and Safety Execut, stated that some accints went unreported, and at some people were quite oud of having managed to cape when something horrific most happened. She also Ited that if an accident kept a rson off work for more than ree days it should be rerted to the local office of the alth and Safety Executive. I suffered an accident at )rk three years ago, which spitalised me for nine weeks, d I am still unable to work at
e present time. When I enired if the cause of my accint had been looked into, I is told that my accident was it selected for investigation. I contacted the Health and fety Executive again, with e help of my MP. I was inrmed by the area director at factory inspectors in the oth Midlands area were able devote less than 10% of eir time to such investigains, and under 5% of approxately 10,000 accidents rected were investigated more If this is the case in general, is no wonder that accidents unreported: unscrupulous aployers know they can get ray with unfenced machinery d dangerous working condiIns. They know full well that is going to be highly unlikely at a factory inspector is going to visit. Until factory inspectors and such like take their jobs seriously and visit most places where accidents occur, or are likely to occur, we are going to keep having accidents.
I agree that it is better to prevent accidents than to visit after the event, but there is an old adage, "familiarity breeds contempt", and short cuts in safety are taken.
The only way to stop this is to keep up regular safety checks by the Health and Safety Executive.
C I3orrill, Tower Avenue, Lincoln.