Workplace gas explosions have doubled in the last five years, according to research

Data from a recent study highlights that 2019-20 was the worst year for gas explosions in the workplace, injuring 35 people and killing eight.

Health and safety experts, CE Safety, has analysed data to reveal the injuries and fatalities caused by gas safety failings in the workplace.

The analysts broke down the HSE data, looking into how carbon monoxide leaks, gas explosions and other instances have affected people at work from 2015 to 2020.

2019-20 was found to be the worst year since 2015, with 41 gas explosions injuring 35 people. That’s a 58% increase, and out of 11 fatalities over the last five years, eight of those occurred in 2019-20 alone.

However, 2016-17 saw the most people sadly injured by an explosion, with 39 recorded.

The analysts also looked at carbon monoxide poisoning data in the workplace. They found that there’s been a 34% decrease in carbon monoxide poisonings since 2015, with 96 instances, no fatalities being recorded, and 151 non-fatal injuries.

Compared to 2015-16 in which 146 recorded events of carbon monoxide poisoning, resulting in 225 non-fatal injuries and seven fatalities – the most fatal year since in the last five years.

The data also highlighted the impact of ‘other exposures’ in the workplace.

CE Safety found that injuries from unburnt gas more than doubled, from six reports in 2015-16 to 13 in 2019-20.

Also in 2018-19, there were six events of ‘other exposures’ resulting in an increase of 117% in the last 12 months. No fatalities were recorded, but the analysts found that these exposures did cause 41 injuries over the last year, with 2019-20 being the worst, recording 15 instances.

The full analysis can be found here.

Click here for more on carbon monoxide awareness from the HSE.

Source: SHP Online