par Planet Labor
According to Hazards Magazine, an occupational health and safety review, 250 kill each other because of work every year. This announcement comes as the House of Lords recognized the employer’s liability when an employee committed suicide after an industrial accident.
According to the information published in Hazards Magazine, there are about 5,000 suicides every year in the UK in people of working age. Following the Japanese pattern – where 5% of all suicides are company related – there would be 250 work-related suicides a year in Great Britain – a figure that tops deadly industrial accidents.
This situation might worsen. Indeed, statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in November 2007 showed an increase in work-related stress, depression and anxiety, with 530.000 employees concerned in 2007 instead of 420.000 the year before. This could increase the number of work-related suicides. Besides, Hazards Magazine tells about several suicides which took place in 2007, the origin of which is quite clear.
Unprecedented ruling. This study was published whereas the House of Lords rendered an unprecedented ruling on February 27. The IBC Vehicles Company was ruled responsible for the suicide of one of its employees. Thomas Corr became depressed and disfigured after an industrial accident in 1996; he killed himself in 2002. His widow had gone to the High Court in April 2005, where the employers’ liability was recognized for the industrial accident, but not for the suicide. The case was taken to the House of Lords, which ruled that the widow should be compensated by the company.
Planet Labor, March 10, 2008, No. 080193 – www.planetlabor.com
Laisser un commentaire