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Worker involvement is key to health and safety, says BBC

The BBC took the opportunity yesterday (Wednesday) to mark the day and to pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives through their work. A statement from BBC Safety  encouraged staff to "think about what you can do to protect yourself, your workers and your colleagues."

The statement confirmed:

think about what you can do to protect yourself, your workers and your colleagues

"Around the world, the annual figure for work-related fatal accidents is in the hundreds of thousands. Here in the UK we have a relatively good health and safety record compared to many countries, yet official statistics remind us that last year 180 people lost their lives at work and over 27,000 suffered major injury. 

Each year around 8,000 die from occupational cancers and lung diseases.  Many road traffic accidents are exempt from official health and safety statistics but research suggests around a third involve someone driving for work.  

BBC Safety supports the aims of International WMD as a day to reflect on all the individuals who have lost their lives or had their lives devastated through work-related circumstances; and on their friends, relatives and colleagues, who have also been affected.  

Everyone deserves to have their safety and health protected at work and WMD is a day to promote improvements across the globe.  All the evidence shows that good ‘worker involvement’ is essential to achieving safe, healthy workplaces. That means a two-way process of talking, listening, raising concerns, finding solutions and making decisions together.  

At the BBC we believe good health and safety is everyone’s responsibility."

Tribute to journalists and crew

"The BBC breathing sculpture sits on top of BH to remember BBC journalists and crew who have lost their lives while working in war-torn regions of the world.  Each evening it projects a beam of light high into the night sky to coincide with BBC Ten O’Clock News.  At ground level a poem is engraved, commissioned from the contemporary poet James Fenton.  To find out more and to read individual biographies of those remembered visit New Broadcasting House ‘memorial’." the statement continued.  

International Workers Memorial Day originates from the Canadian labour movement and commemorates the loss of 28 workers in a construction collapse in Connecticut. 

BECTU makes a substantial commitment to health and safety through the training of local representatives and through discussion with employers, across the spectrum, focussed on managers' engagement with health and safety reps, risk assessment and the prevention and assessment of accidents. 

In 2009, the Theatre Safety Committee, of which BECTU is part, launched a new reporting tool  designed to improve accident data collection and safety practice across theatre. 

Members who suffer personal injury at work are also supported, both by their officials and by the union's lawyers, Thompsons.

Find out more about BECTU's work on health and safety and member Benefits and Services.