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Health and Safety Regulations.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 April 2006

Tuesday, 4 April 2006

Ceisteanna (285, 286, 287)

Arthur Morgan

Ceist:

314 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the percentage of workers in 2005 and in each of the previous five years who reported suffering from work related stress. [13212/06]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Arthur Morgan

Ceist:

316 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the percentage of deaths in 2005 and in each of the past five years which were work related. [13230/06]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Arthur Morgan

Ceist:

317 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the percentage of the population and the workforce who suffer ill health associated with work in 2005 and in each of the past five years. [13231/06]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 314, 316 and 317 together.

In relation to the percentage of workers who reported suffering from work related stress in 2005 and each of the preceding five years, figures obtained from the Health and Safety Authority from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, as set out in Table 1, illness category by gender, indicate that 12,200 respondents in the quarterly national household survey, QNHS, of the CSO reported stress, depression or anxiety illnesses for 2004 at a rate of six per 1,000 workers. Of these, 5,300 were males, a rate of five per 1,000 workers, and 6,800 are females, a rate of eight per 1,000 workers. Figures for 2005 are not yet available and there are no corresponding data available for preceding years.

With regard to work related deaths, the Health and Safety Authority has provided figures on the number of reported work-related fatalities for past five years, which are set out in Table 2. The fatalities are compared with information supplied by the CSO in regard to those aged 15+ in employment for each of the years. The work-related fatality rate per 100,000 persons employed is also shown in the table. I understand that the authority does not have information on the rate of work-related deaths as a percentage of all deaths in the population in any year.

In relation to work-related ill health, the Central Statistics Office, in accordance with data obtained through its quarterly national household survey, has provided the Health and Safety Authority with estimates of work-related ill health in the period 2001 to 2004. This information is set out in Table 3. Data for 2005 were collected in the first quarter of 2006 and are not yet available.

The Deputy will appreciate that the questions relate to areas wider than those covered in my range of responsibilities as Minister with responsibility for occupational health and safety and perhaps the Central Statistics Office website, www.cso.ie which contains a wide range of information under a variety of headings including labour market and people and population, would also be of assistance.

Table 1: Illness category by gender 2004 (CSO)

Male

Female

Total

Illness

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

Bone, joint or muscle

18,800

17.0

10,800

13.0

29,600

16.0

Breathing, lungs

2,200

2.0

500

1.0

2,700

1.0

Skin

800

1.0

100

0.0

900

0.0

Hearing problem

700

1.0

*

*

700

0.0

Stress, depression, anxiety

5,300

5.0

6,800

8.0

12,200

6.0

Headache, eyestrain

2,200

2.0

900

1.0

3,200

2.0

Heart

1,300

1.0

200

0.0

1,500

1.0

Infectious disease

900

1.0

2,100

3.0

3,000

2.0

Other

1,800

2.0

3,100

4.0

4,900

3.0

Not applicable

1,000

1.0

100

0.0

1,100

1.0

Not stated

200

0.0

*

*

200

0.0

Total

35,200

32.0

24,700

30.0

59,800

32.0

* There were insufficient numbers in these categories to calculate a meaningful rate.

Table 2: Number work-related fatalities 2001-2005 (CSO)

Year

Number of work-related fatalities (worker fatalities in brackets)

Number aged 15+ in employment in Q4, Reference year (CSO)

Rate of worker fatalities per 100,000 (excluding non-workers)

2001

67 (54)

1,759,900

3.0

2002

61 (53)

1,782,300

2.9

2003

68 (60)

1,828,900

3.3

2004

50 (48)

1,894,100

2.5

2005

73 (64)

1,980,600

3.2

Table 3: Rate of work-related ill health 2001-2004 (CSO)

Year

Rate of work-related illness per 1,000 workers

Percentage of work-related illness per 1,000 workers

2001

18.6

1.9

2002

21.5

2.2

2003

25.2

2.5

2004

31.3

3.1

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