Shattered Lives Campaign

Employers are coming under pressure to improve their health and safety regulations.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new national campaign that aims to imrpove health and safety in the workplace by raising awareness of the long-term consequences of serious accidents. The 'Shattered Lives' campaign will target a number of industries including the health and education sectors. Eight people died in the North West last year and 5,557 employers were seriously injured, costing the region £81.6 million.

There were 217 Serious slips or trips in Warrington last year compared with 111 in St Helens and 223 in Wigan.

David Sowerby, HSE's Acting Regional Director for the North West, said: "people often view slips, trips and falls as trivial accidents but they can have devastating consequences." The figures, released by the HSE, show the numbers of injuries at work in the North West area during 2007/8. Nationally there were 61 deaths and more than 14,000 serious injuries reported in Britain's workplaces last year and HSE's David Sowerby emphasised the need for more awareness of injuires in the workplace: "People need to take the time to think about what could cause slips, trips or falls in their businesses. It's often something quite obvious like having wet floors or untidy workplaces. "

Employers can find information on how to prevent injuries in the workplace at hse.gov.uk