HSENI's latest Annual Report and Statement of Accounts published, covering the period April 2009 to March 2010, shows that the number of injuries at work has again fallen since last year.

Overall reported injuries are down by over a third since HSENI was established in 1999 - this compares to employment levels for the same period which have grown by over a quarter.

Professor Peter McKie, HSENI's Chairman, said "Encouragingly in the last year, even if the economic downturn is factored in, the number of work- related injuries have continued to decrease. Quite simply, even with more people in work we are seeing fewer being injured. We can also report a dramatic reduction in the number of fatal injury incidents, which were down from 19 in the previous year to six. In this category it is heartening to report that it includes no child deaths from farming activities.

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"Whilst we must always remain cautious against reading too much into statistics, this is yet again a very significant reduction and I see the continuing downward trend as a clear endorsement of the innovative and challenging approach that has been adopted by HSENI since its establishment in 1999. This approach is based on three complementary strands: the provision of advice and assistance particularly to small businesses; the recognition of good practice amongst both the private and public sectors and the relentless pursuit of those who blatantly flout the law and put at risk the lives of their employees and too often the general public. In this latter regard, I must recognise the assistance of the Courts in driving home the importance of the effective management of health and safety which has resulted in a significant rise in the levels of fines for health and safety offences over the past decade. For many firms this is a powerful deterrent."

(CD/KMcA)