3. Health & Safety
Policy
The Group's policy is to give the greatest importance to the health and safety of its employees. In the design, construction, operation and maintenance of all the plant, equipment and facilities, it is the duty of management to do everything reasonably practical to prevent personal injuries. To this end, management provides personal protective equipment and protective clothing. It is also the duty of every employee to exercise responsibility and to do everything reasonably practicable to prevent injury to himself/herself and others and for the prompt reporting of accidents and potential hazards.
Details of specific responsibilities for health and safety, together with other relevant health and safety information are displayed on notice boards at each Group location.
Performance
Accident statistics have been published by the Group for each year since 2002. The table below sets out the position during the last five years. During the years 2003 to 2006 inclusive the accident rate per 100,000 employees declined each year. However, in 2007 accidents increased from 14 in 2006 (representing 835 per 100,000 employees) to 20 in 2007 (representing 976 per 100,000 employees), as follows. The number of accidents at the operation in Costa Rica, which was expanded during 2006, increased from two in 2006 to four in 2007. Tomcat in Mexico, acquired as part of the larger Tomcat acquisition in November 2006, had no accidents in 2006 but three in 2007. Additional health and safety training is being carried out at these locations. At the Group's main operations in Italy, Staging Support, the number of accidents was down from 10 in 2006 to nine in 2007.
| Year | Accident rate | Fatalities | Average number of employees |
| 2003 | 1,333 | Nil | 1,646 |
| 2004 | 1,290 | Nil | 1,550 |
| 2005 | 1,040 | Nil | 1,538 |
| 2006 | 835 | Nil | 1,676 |
| 2007 | 976 | Nil | 2,049 |
Note: Accident rate means the number of accidents per 100,000 employees per year leading to absences from work of more than three days.
Health and safety training is part of the induction process for new employees. Specific training is given, where relevant, for forklift truck, crane and hoist operation and bottle gas usage as well as fire safety and first aid training. Additional training is given where an employee has a specific role such as responsibility for administering first aid.
Risk assessments are in place throughout the Group. Appropriate control measures have been taken to control the risks identified. Assessments are carried out on a regular basis and these assessments are kept under review, particularly when new equipment or machinery is acquired or new processes are introduced.
Operations where health and safety is of particular significance - in Italy and Camera Dynamics, Communications and Anton/Bauer - have Safety Committees with the aim of identifying potential risks facing employees and developing solutions to mitigate risks, including training employees to deal with and avoid risks.
Accident statistics continue to be reported to, and monitored by, the Executive Board and the Board on a monthly basis.
