Launching the latest work-related fatal injury statistics, Health and Safety Commission (HSC) Chair Sir Bill Callaghan said the loss of 241 lives was unacceptable.

He issued a fresh challenge to industry to place safety at the top of its priorities and do more to protect the work force.

Of the main industrial sectors, construction has the highest total of fatal injuries and accounts for 31% of all fatal injuries to workers.

Other industries such as agriculture, waste and recycling and specific issues such as the protection of vulnerable workers, particularly migrant workers, pose significant challenges.

The latest statistics suggest that the provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2006/07 is 241, and corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.80 per 100,000 workers. In 2005/06, the finalised figures were 217 and 0.72 respectively; these were the lowest annual figures on record.

However, the latest statistics revealed an overall increase of 11 per cent since last year. Although a long-term downward trend is still clear, the rate of decrease has slowed over the last 15 years and there has been very little change in the overall rate over the last five years.

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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) internal monitoring systems had signalled an increase in fatalities in construction and so the unvalidated statistics collected throughout the year has led to plans to address the areas of concern.

To tackle the level of fatalities in the construction sector, the Executive confirmed continuing focus on its inspection programme, as the refurbishment and repair sectors in particular have seen an increase in fatal injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive will also be working very closely with stakeholders to address the problem to rising fatalities.

HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger stated: "Those who are putting the lives of their workforce at risk should know that HSE takes this very seriously. In the past year we have approved 25% more prosecutions than the year before and our inspectors have served 1000 more enforcement notices. No one should believe that they can get away with serious breaches of health and safety."

Health and Safety Commissioner Danny Carrigan said: "Construction remains an undeniably dangerous industry and, all too often, it demonstrates the unacceptable human cost of getting things wrong. I am also concerned about the continued high level of construction worker fatalities on smaller sites and involving small businesses. I know that HSE keeps a close eye on fatal accident trends and that its Construction Division is already focusing in on the key issues. I am particularly pleased to see that HSE is pressing hard for all workers to be fully engaged in health and safety decisions. I challenge all in the construction industry to refocus its efforts and work together with HSE to tackle the unacceptable level of fatalities in the construction industry."

(LC/SP)