They are the leaders of the health and safety revolution, preaching a gospel of slip-free surfaces, sensible chairs, secure hinges and signs alerting people to any accident black-spot around the workplace.

But the inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive, and the offices in which they work, appear to attract mishaps and slip-ups with unnerving regularity. Falling lavatory-roll dispensers, flea bites and ill-fitting safety shoes were among hundreds of incidents involving the organisation’s 3,500 employees. One minor injury was also reported after someone walked into a warning sign.

According to data released to The Times under the Freedom of Information Act, there were more than 500 accidents and injuries in a 3½ year period. The rate equates to one incident almost every two working days and far exceeds sectors such as heavy industry, farming and vehicle repairs.

Inspectors were injured 96 times between April 2003 and September last year. There were a further 415 injuries on the executive’s premises, 72 of which were to visitors.

There were 154 slips, trips or falls. A wet tea-room floor was responsible for one employee suffering a groin strain and another slipped on a plastic bag and pulled a hamstring. Other examples included slipping on a raisin and tripping over a bin. One employee bruised her eye when a lavatory-roll dispenser fell from the wall. Inspectors were also physically or verbally assaulted nine times.

Of the injuries, 42 were reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (Riddor) and 47 incidents were recorded as being at least a three-day injury. Across all British workplaces, a total of 146,076 injuries were reported under Riddor in 2005-06, equivalent to 562.4 per 100,000 employees.

Data for workplace accidents show a rate of 4,143 per 100,000 people for the HSE over 2005-06. This compares with 2,143 per 100,000 across all companies in the process, plant and machine operatives sector, widely considered one of the most dangerous sectors. Skilled trade occupations, which includes farmers and mechanics, had 1,012 per 100,000.

An HSE spokesman conceded that the incident rate was high but said that it strived to set high standards in the reporting of mishaps. “It would be unreasonable to expect that an organisation that employs more than 3,500 people would suffer no injuries,” he said. “We endeavour to be an exemplar and as such HSE’s level of reporting is very high. When compared against averages for companies with our type of risk the incident rates and rates for reportable injuries are low.”

Details of the catalogue of misfortune have emerged days after one health and safety inspector was banned from driving for six months for irresponsible behaviour in a car. The man, who claimed to be running late for a first-aid course, was caught shaving as he passed a police car at 70 mph.

Hit and miss

Among the accidents and injuries reported in the HSE offices between April and September last year were:

Had to swerve and stop while driving to avoid a vehicle — whiplash injury

Opening door of minibus when foot went off edge of kerb — twisted ankle

Scalded hand with hot water from water boiler

Pressure washer connection became loose allowing jets of hot water to escape on to lower arm

Laceration to finger after catching it on metal hook on file

Colleague opened door which knocked into IP and caught her back

Emptying bin when hand was cut by broken glasspaper cut

Burnt hand on hot rack of toaster

Tried to step over spill on floor but slipped in the process

Walked into warning sign — laceration to skull and damage to spectacles

Hit by falling box from the top shelf of mobile racking unit

Accidentally touched bulb while switching lamp off — small burn to thumb

Jarred wrist and arm trying to open door, which was stiffer than usual

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