The tragic deaths of two Co Antrim students when a faulty gas flue led to their suffocation was recalled today with NI's Health & Safety Agency (HSENI) published its latest annual report.

Published on Monday, it continues to demonstrate the official body's commitment to improving health and safety standards in workplaces across Northern Ireland.

It highlighted the successful delivery of two major public awareness campaigns that focused on gas safety and the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The latter campaign had increased significance and poignancy given the fact that during the year Northern Ireland suffered two carbon monoxide poisoning incidents each involving a double fatality - including the teens' deaths.

In Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, an incident claimed the lives of Killian Scallon and his wife Pauline at their home in the town, highlighting how the same toxic gas also killed two teenagers, Newtownabbey friends Neil McFerran and Aaron Davidson, who died at a holiday apartment in Castlerock.

Asbestos

Also of particular note was the effort put into raising awareness amongst landlords of their duty to manage asbestos.

This followed on from the successful 'do you know what you are getting into' campaign aimed at those 40,000 tradesmen in Northern Ireland who might encounter asbestos in the buildings they might be called upon to work on.

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The report also draws out the breadth and depth of the work HSENI undertakes, which ranged from speaking about farm safety to 7,000 pupils in rural primary schools to mentoring over 350 small businesses and enabling them to take the first step to developing a sensible approach to managing health and safety.

In addition, the report points to the fact that the numbers of reportable work-related injuries have slightly increased for the first time in five years, up by 3%.

This, HSENI sees very much as blip when set against the overall long-term downward trend with reported injuries down by 33% since 1999, which has to be contrasted with a 25% increase in the numbers of people in employment.

Unfortunately, the all-time low of six work-related fatalities experienced last year was not sustained, increasing to 14, the report said.

However, this figure is still down by more than 26% since HSENI was established in 1999 and is below the 10-year average of 16. The increase from six work-related fatalities was due to a 200% increase in farming-related deaths (from two in 2009/10 to six in 2010/11) and to four deaths to members of the public caused by carbon monoxide poisoning arising from fuel burning appliances.

George Lucas, HSENI's Chairman, said: "As the incoming Chairman of HSENI, I am proud of HSENI's record for the year.

"HSENI's staff work with great dedication and commitment day in and day out to try to improve the standards of health and safety in the wide range of work situations for which it has responsibility.

"Naturally, I am disappointed to note that the injury figures for the year are slightly up on the previous year although this needs to be seen within the context of the longer term trends which still remain very positive, with fatal injuries down by a quarter and all reported injuries down by a third since HSENI was established in 1999."

Mr Lucas added: "I see the underlying downward trend as a clear endorsement of the often ground-breaking approaches that have been adopted by HSENI.

"However, the continuing high level of deaths particularly amongst older farmers and the recent tragedies involving carbon monoxide illustrate the need for HSENI to be constantly innovative and challenging.

"Consequently, both of these issues feature significantly in next year's work programme with specific initiatives planned for the coming months," he concluded.

See: Castlerock Gas Tragedy Teens Named

See: Gas Probe In Chinese Restaurant Tragedy

(BMcC/CD)