NFRC’s Annual Accident Statistics for 2019/20 show that members of the federation reported 73 accidents in the 2019/20 financial year, out of 23,300 employees and labour-only subcontractors.
This equates to an accident rate of 0.317%—13 times lower than the national average. NFRC members also reported zero fatalities for the fifth year in the row.
The top five accidents reported by NFRC members mirrored the most common accidents across construction as reported by the HSE:
- Slips, trips, or falls on the same level (26)
- Falls from height (18)
- Injured whilst handling, lifting or carrying a load (14)
- Hit by a moving object-flying or falling (3)
- Contact with moving machinery (3)
The most cited reason for slips and trips, was that scaffold platforms and work areas were obstructed with materials and waste.
Commenting on the statistics, NFRC Head of Technical and Training, Bob Richardson said:
“These statistics are a testament to the hard work our members have put into implementing healthy and safe working practices—in a year when they have also faced a global pandemic. The numbers speak for themselves, and this should give clients, homeowners, and specifiers confidence that when they use an NFRC member, they will do the job safely.
He added:
“However, we should not rest on our laurels, and 73 accidents is still 73 too many. We must aim for zero-harm as an industry—to do this we need look to improve operatives risk perception, promote understanding of health and safety, and raise awareness of consequences.
He concluded:
“The most common accidents mirror construction as a whole, which indicates we’re not inventing new ways to injure ourselves, but just repeating the same mistakes and violations. The most cited accident reported being slips, trips and falls. If contractors take simple measures such as keeping storage and work areas tidy, having a system in place to manage waste, and making sure everyone knows what they have to do, we can hope that 2022’s figures come back even lower ”