The British Safety Council is supporting the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is taking place today.

Chief executive of the British Safety Council, Alex Botha, said: “The World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April is a day when we stop and remember all of those who have lost their lives and those who have been seriously injured or made ill by work. It is not only a day of commemoration but also a day on which we need to affirm and strengthen our efforts to keep people healthy and safe at work.

“The British Safety Council’s vision, which is aligned to the aims of the day, is that no one should be made ill or injured at work, so we fully support the initiative.”

He continued: “We know that the toll of workplace death, serious injury, disease and ill health is vast. The estimated 2.2 million people across the globe, people with friends and families, who die in the workplace every year, is a personal tragedy that must be addressed.

“Our work over the last fifty six years has contributed to helping build safer and healthier workplaces. That work, undertaken in partnership with our member organisations and wider society, will continue. We are committed to continue our work to build competence, knowledge and understanding to ensure that the risk of injury and ill health is properly managed.”

Alex Botha concluded: “We should look forward to future World Days for Safety and Health at Work which celebrate the advances made in ensuring all workplaces are safe and healthy. The spectre of continuing loss of life and serious injury in workplaces across the globe in the coming months and years is unacceptable and preventable.”