Full and finalised offshore health and safety statistics for 2008/09 are now
available on the British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

The detailed report follows the release of 'headline' statistics in August and
contains figures on injury, ill-health and dangerous occurrences (see notes to
editors), including hydrocarbon releases, between 1 April 2008 and 31 March
2009.

No workers were killed while working offshore during 2008/09 - the second
consecutive year with no fatalities - and there was a fall in major injuries
with 30 reported, a fall of 14 compared with 2007/08 figures.

The combined fatal and major injury rate reduced to 106 per 100,000 workers in
2008/09 compared with 156 in 2007/08 and 146 in 2006/07. The highest number of
injuries occurred during maintenance and construction work.

The number of major and significant hydrocarbon releases, regarded as potential
precursors to a major incident, also showed marked improvement with 61 in
2008/09 compared with 74 in 2007/08.

In 2008/09 there was a small fall in the three-day injury rate with 496 workers
per 100,000 reporting an injury, bucking the broadly flat trend over the
previous seven years.

Said Steve Walker, HSE's head of offshore:

"Though these figures suggest the sector is getting safer, with both the
combined fatal and major injury rate and major hydrocarbon releases at their
lowest since HSE began regulating the industry, they cannot be taken in
isolation. The tragic loss on 1 April 2009 of 17 workers in two separate air
transport and maritime incidents - areas not regulated by HSE - is a stark
reminder of the hazards of working offshore and the need to ensure they are
carefully managed.

"However, while continuing to work to minimise the potential for large-scale
incidents, the offshore industry must not forget the risks to workers from
every day activities such as lifting and carrying and maintenance work which
were responsible for the vast majority of all offshore injuries during
2008/09."

More info

AplusA-online.de - Source: Health and Safety Executive