In June last year 62-year-old Georges Le Maistre died at a building site on Upper Midvale Road after he was crushed between his skip-lorry and a granite wall.
The States police and the Health and Safety Inspectorate launched an investigation which is still ongoing.
Tammy Fage, the Island’s director of health and safety, said the Inspectorate’s primary role was to establish how the accident occurred to ensure lessons can be learnt.
‘Whilst fortunately still a relatively rare occurrence in Jersey, a fatal accident in such a small community has significant impact, not just on family, friends and immediate work colleagues but the wider industry as well.’
In total the Inspectorate investigated 82 incidents last year – six less than the in 2013. Of those 52 per cent were related to the construction industry.
Of the investigations into incidents in the building trade 30 per cent of them related to the ‘uncontrolled disturbance’ of asbestos – a fibrous building material shown to cause cause long-term health problems including the rare cancer, mesothelioma.
The material, which is classified as a class one carcinogen, is responsible for around 5,000 deaths in the UK every year.
Last year the Inspectorate received 114 Plans of Work – operational plans issued by contractors who are licensed to work with asbestos – almost double the figure of the previous year (59).
Mrs Fage added: ‘Many of these related to large and complex sites, including the demolition of the Plémont Holiday Village.’
Elsewhere four health and safety cases – including the Jersey Gas fire at Gas Place – were heard by the Royal Court last year.
And in total there were 678 claims for Social Security benefit as a result of work-related accidents or ill health. As a result £533,000 was paid out in short-term incapacity benefit.
Mrs Fage said the construction industry continues to top the table of workplaces where employees are most likely to suffer an accident or ill health.
She added that she hoped that planned changes to construction industry regulations, which are currently out for public consultation, would ensure a safer working environment in the future.
‘The current regulations are 45 years old and one of the major changes we want to introduce is health and safety regualtions that run right through the process,’ she said.
