Safety group's image slightly bruised

London: They should be among the safest workers in the land.

But staff at the Health and Safety Executive could perhaps do with reading their literature a little more often.

Its employees recorded a total of 53 accidents at work last year, according to figures released after a Freedom of Information request. Among them was a man who cut his eye on a piece of A3 paper and someone who cut two fingers after putting them into a fan.

Another employee was bruised by a falling toilet roll holder.

Perhaps more embarrassing, an employee endured the indignity of a groin strain after tripping over a ‘Caution: Wet Floor' sign.

For a watchdog that brought us leaflets including ‘Preventing Slips and Trips at Work', ‘Safe Use of Ladders and Stepladders' and ‘The Importance of Floor Cleaning' the episodes will be rather embarrassing.