H+S Accident Trend Report: Major Steps Taken By UK Government (Case Study Sample)

H+S ACCIDENT TREND REPORT 1
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Abstract
The case study seeks to venture into the trends in accidents occurring in the UK between the years 1992 to the year 2015. This will involve looking at accidents in UK, causes of these accidents, measures to reduce them and the probability of success or failure using the current measures. The study will analyze some of the major steps taken by the UK government as a means to drop the slope of the graph on the related subject. The paper will have the introductory part, which will explain what these accident reports are, how they were accessed, where and why this study is so important. Finally, the paper will have a summary section on all that has been addressed on the case study and the future of accidents in the United Kingdom.
Introduction
Accidents occur anywhere all over the earth. Some accidents could have been prevented while others could not have been prevented. Wherever an accident occurs, there may be loss of a precious life. Imagine a life of a bread winner in a family perishing. What would be the effects of such an incidence? Imagine a son and a daughter loosing either a father, or a mother or both parents. Having said that, there is a great need to add more effort towards ensuring that the accident rates reduces. Accidents can be of different kinds depending on the way it occurs, which include; home and leisure accidents, workplace accidents, water accident, road accident and any other accident that might occur.
Home and leisure accidents are those that occur in households. They may include accidents in adults over 65years while skateboarding and children falling down stairs while playing among other accidents. Work place accidents are those that are work related. They are injuries, ill health, gas safety, enforcement and any other work related dangerous occurrence. Road accidents are the most common uncontrollable accidents. The Department for Transport in the UK recently published annual report, provided an in-depth statistical information on the UK circumstances of road accidents. This information includes information concerning how, where and when the accident occurs. It also involves information about the people involved and the factors that caused the accident. Water related accidents majorly include drowning cases. Most importantly, accidents with construction, design and management are so widespread in the UK that there is need to address it. To prevent further damage and loss by such accidents, the UK government has for many years come up with certain regulations that has helped reduce the number of accidents occurring. Among such regulations are the CMD regulations that were in 1994 to curb the mobile construction sites directive. The introduction of the CMD regulation aimed to clarifying and making the existing regulations more flexible. It aimed at placing an emphasis on how the safety and health related issues are managed in construction and design management (ROSPA, 2015).
The regulations were made under section fifteen of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It dealt with securing the health and safety of each and every worker, especially during construction. Its actual implementation commenced 31st of March, 1995. Its implementation required collective working of the employer, consultant, planning supervisor, principal contractor, sub-contractor as well as the self-employed individuals. Under the Act, the planning supervisor is responsible in notifying the Health and Safety Executive about a particular project that needs to be implemented. In his/her notification, they must give specific information concerning the design of the project, which must be ones that comply with the regulations 14 and 15 of the Act. The consultant (designer) has a role of coming up with a design with a minimum risk possible that meets the Health and Safety legislation. The principal contractor was assigned the role of coordinating all other contractors in ensuring that they stay safe and that all of them comply to the Health and Safety plan. The self-employed persons must fully cooperate with the contractors and other participants.
Since 1992 to date, there has been tremendous adjustments on the Construction (Design Management). The table below represents a list of events that has taken place since 1992 to 2015 in relation to Construction (Design and Management)
Date

Event

Purpose and/or outcome

June 1992

Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites Directive (TMCSD) adopted

* To lay down minimum safety and health requirements for Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites
* To prevent risks through the establishment of a chain of responsibilities that link all the involved parties.

March 1995

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 [1] (CDM 94) come into force

* To implement, in part, the TMCSD

Sept 1996

The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 [2] (CHSW 96) come into force


Late 1996– 1998

Interim evaluation of CDM 1994

* To establish stakeholders’ views on implementation

2002

HSC publishes a discussion document  Revitalising Health and Safety in Construction [3]

* To seek industry’s views on improving the construction industry’s then poor health and safety performance

Sept 2003

HSC agrees to revise the CDM 94 and CHSW 96 regulations (see paper HSC/03/93 [4] for the review)

* To respond to industry’s comments on the discussion document

March 2005

HSC publishes consultation document (CD200)[5]

* To seek comments on revision of CDM 94 and CHSW 96 regulations

December 2005

HSC meets

* To consider a report on emerging findings of the consultation [6]
* Decides that new regulations should be supported by an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and industry-produced guidance

July 2006

CONIAC meets[7]

* To discuss the draft CDM regulatory package
* Later agrees to the package being forwarded to HSC meeting

Oct 2006

HSC meets[8]

* To consider the draft CDM regulatory package
* Formally approves the draft package for formal proposal to Ministers

Feb 2007

* Minister signs The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007)
* Ministerial consent given to the ACOP which supports CDM 2007
CDM 2007 Regulations laid before Parliament
CDM 2007 ACOP published

 

March 2007

Early Day Motion (EDM) tabled calling for a debate on the CDM 2007 Regulations

 

April 2007

CDM 2007 Regulations [9] come into force

 

May 2007

EDM Parliamentary Prayer Debate on CDM 2007 Regulations takes place

* The Regulations were fully supported by Government
* Commitment to early review of the Regulations given by Parliament

Nov 2009

Pilot evaluation of CDM 2007 Regulations commenced


March 2010

Main phase evaluation of CDM 2007 Regulations commenced


Oct 2010

Draft evaluation report of CDM 2007

* Showed general improvement over CDM 94 with concerns remaining in areas of competence assessment, coordination and bureaucracy

March 2011

CONIAC meets

* To discuss early findings of CDM 2007 evaluation (see minutes [10])

March 2011

Publication of Pilot Evaluation of CDM 2007 Regulations (RR845)[11]


April 2011

Evaluation report of CDM 2007


July 2011

CONIAC meets. Paper M2/2011/2 [12] presented on the evaluation of CDM 2007

* Paper highlights the findings of the CONIAC CDM Evaluation Working Group and those of the independent external research undertaken

Nov 2011

Publication of Löfstedt report – An independent review of health and safety legislation [13]

* Recommended that:
* the CDM 2007 evaluation should be completed by April 2012
* HSE should review all ACOPs, although the CDM 2007 ACOP should be managed separately

Dec 2011

HSE Board meets

* Agreed to simplification and rationalisation of the CDM package primarily based on copy out of TMCSD

May 2012

Publication of Evaluation of CDM 2007 Report (RR920)[14]

 

The changes above shows how serious the government of the United Kingdom is in trying to reduce or completely prevent the occurrence of Construction (Design and Management). This seem to have made a significant progress in eradicating CDM tragedies. Statistically, according to Stats 19 Systems, the latest regulations has had an important trend in paternalistic intervention by the government in ensuring the safety and accident free working place of the construction workers. Traditionally, this role was only left to the company itself. Most profit driven companies cared less for their workers thus a lot of accident reports were recorded. Löfstedt (2011) notes that the trend has, however, in the 20th century improved due to the government intervention. Currently, about 2.2 million UK citizens work in the construction industry. That makes it the biggest industry in this country. Surprisingly, the construction industry accounts for about25% of the fatal accidents and 16% of the major accidents that occur within the UK. This would mean that it is the most dangerous industry to work in. Within the past a quarter a century, nearly 2800 people have perished in accidents related to construction. Of these incidences, many cases are still under investigation. Furthermore, in order for a report to be included in the statistical data in the UK, it has to be approved by the RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Di...