Businesses must pay more attention to health and safety plans to reduce on the number of accidents in the workplace next year, it was warned today.
Ibec, the business and employers group, said if more attention was paid to workplace dangers a vast number of accidents could be prevented.
There were 68 reported fatalities in the workplace so far this year - compared with 49 the previous year and 67 in 2003.
"While detailed figures on non-fatal accidents are not yet available for 2005, and despite a considerable downward trend in earlier years, this development is worrying and suggests greater care is needed to avoid serious injury," Tony Briscoe, director of health and safety at IBEC, said.
IBEC said a large number of fatal accidents were associated with falls - particularly from heights or machinery.
"Falling objects also present serious risks to individuals at work and these accidents are preventable. If more attention was paid to these risks, a large proportion of our fatal accidents could be prevented," he said.
The group said it was vital for employers to be familiar with health and safety risks in the workplace and ensure necessary controls were in place to avoid or reduce them.
"Those employers who best understand their responsibilities for safety put considerable investment in influencing employee behaviour, so that their employees place in the highest regard their personal safety as well as that of their colleagues," he said.
But Mr Briscoe said the trend in the number of occupational injuries inflicted in Ireland was still positive compared with other European countries.
PA