Recording changes in schools and colleges have been pinpointed as the major reason why health and safety-related accidents have gone up at a council by 20%.

Redcar and Cleveland Council logged 83 accidents from all directorates and services between last April and February this year.

This was an increase of 14 on the figure of 69 from the same period in 2022/23, an increase of 20.2%.

A report for members of the council’s employment, health and safety committee said changes to recording systems in some educational settings had accounted for ten of the additional accident reports.

From the latest figures, 76 accidents were recorded as a minor injury and six had been reported to the Health and Safety Executive as working time lost as a result was more than seven days.

Meanwhile, one accident resulted in a major injury, which was also reported to the HSE, a reduction from four in the previous period.

A breakdown of the accident figures showed months towards the end of the year to be most risky with December leading the way with 13 accidents, followed by November (12) and October (10).

In terms of minor injuries, schools accounted for 24 in 2023/24, tied with the adult and communities department, also 24.

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The biggest cause of accidents in 2023/24 were slips and trips (20), followed by someone being hit by a moving, flying or falling object (16).

Separately, 41 physical assaults were noted between last April and February this year with 12 resulting in a personal injury.

The report also said over this period a total of 250 days of absence had been recorded and attributed to an injury received at work.