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NASC Contractor members have recorded their second-lowest figure for accidents and injuries in 2020 according to data revealed in the NASC 2021 Safety Report.
NASC one of the UK’s leading scaffolding trade bodies has published its most comprehensive annual Safety Report to date containing accident statistics, analysis and plans to further improve scaffolding industry safety standards.
The 2021 Safety Report shows NASC Contractor members that employ more than 16,000 operatives collectively, reported just 81 incidents in 2020 which is the second-lowest figure recorded. The previous year (2019) saw an all-time low of just 74 incidents.
The NASC says this means that in 2020 99.5% of its member-employed operatives went through the year accident and injury-free. Data also shows there were no operative fatalities within its membership, for the eighth consecutive year.
For the 2021 Safety Report, the NASC collected more detailed accident information than ever before from its Contractor members. This enabled the NASC to delve deeper into the statistics, identifying a number of trends and common causes of accidents and injuries.
The report shows, for example, that the main causes of slips and trips were human error (55%), followed by poor site housekeeping and poor ground conditions (both 19%), and that 69% of all recorded operative falls from height were suffered by those in the 31-40 age bracket.
Read the full report here: NASC 2021 Safety Report
Armed with this new data, the NASC is now working towards addressing the various issues identified.
Robin James, NASC Managing Director, said: “The 2021 Safety Report shows NASC Contractor members continue to work to the highest standards – with just 81 incidents reported. It should be remembered that during 2020 members were faced with challenging Covid-19 related working conditions, with operatives forced to significantly change the way they worked on site.
“Members rose to this challenge, not only continuing to operate wherever possible – in line with Government guidance – but also ensuring safety standards were not compromised.”
Lynn Way, NASC President, added: “Whilst we’re proud of the headlines figures contained within this year’s Safety Report, this publication is intended to be much more than just a line in the sand, an annual yardstick to measure general safety success against previous years.
“It is also a way in which we can learn why incidents occurred with a view to developing ways in which to reduce them – benefiting both NASC members and the wider scaffolding and construction industries.
“To support this endeavour, this year we changed the way in which we gather accident information from NASC members. As a result, this year’s analysis is boosted by a more defined and detailed set of accident returns. This extra information has enabled us to delve much deeper into the 81 incidents reported, identifying potential causes and trends hidden beneath the figures and making recommendations that we hope will lead to safety improvements throughout the industry.”
