Promoting safe maintenance

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) chose the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April) for the launch of its Healthy Workplaces Campaign for 2010/11, promoting safe maintenance across Europe.

In some European countries as many as 20% of all workplace accidents are connected with maintenance and in a number of sectors more than half of all accidents are maintenance-related.

Maintenance is essential to prevent workplace risks, but it is itself a high risk activity for the workers that carry it out. It is estimated that in Europe 10 to15% of fatal accidents at work can be attributed to maintenance operations.

According to the HSE, early analysis of the most recent two years' data indicates that more than 25 to 30% of fatal accidents in the manufacturing industries are caused by maintenance activities.

Judith Hackitt, HSE's Chair, says: "HSE encourages everyone to get involved in this two-year campaign.

We know that maintenance can be one of the most dangerous activities people do at work and it is important that it is managed properly."