 Nine people were killed in the plastics factory blast |
The number of people killed at work in Scotland last year showed a massive rise, according to new figures. The Health and Safety Executive said that there were 33 fatal injuries to employees in 2004/05, compared with nine the previous year.
This was the highest level in the last nine years.
Nine deaths were in the explosion at the Stockline Plastics factory in Glasgow. There were a further five deaths in manufacturing.
The figures show that there were 11 deaths in construction, five in agriculture and three in the services sector.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) said it was "extremely disappointing" that the reduction witnessed the previous year had not been maintained.
Ian Tasker, STUC Assistant Secretary, said: "In a year where Scotland witnessed the worst industrial incident that in itself claimed the lives of nine workers, a further 24 families have suffered the loss of a loved one as a result of injuries sustained at work."
He said: "We believe that proper inspection and enforcement is the only way that workplaces can be made safer and these figures make it clear there is no room for soft touch enforcement and regulation as far as health and safety goes."
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