AN award-winning fish and chip shop is backing a campaign to prevent accidents at work.

Barnacles, which runs restaurants and takeaways across County Durham and Teesside, including Darlington and Stockton, is backing the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Shattered Lives.

In the past year there was one fatality and more than 1,900 injuries as a result of a slip, trip or fall from height in North-East workplaces.

Frances Smith, operations director for Barnacles, said: “The safety of our staff is paramount.

“On design of all our premises we assess all areas of the business with a view to minimising or preventing possible risks.

“We believe training has also been a huge benefit to ensuring our staff safety.

“It is important they are aware of their responsibility to their own and others’ safety as not only can something as trivial as a common slip cause discomfort and pain, but the loss of earnings could place their family in difficulties.

The knock-on effects can be quite devastating.”

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: “The council’s environmental health unit works closely with businesses like Barnacles to ensure a common sense approach is taken to help prevent accidents and we’re delighted to be joining them in support of the HSE campaign.”

To help businesses take preventive action the HSE has launched Step – an interactive learning package that provides practical guidance to help users tackle slips, trips and falls in their workplace.

The package is free and can be accessed online at hse.gov.uk/ slips/step/ index.htm