JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill this week re-iterated the Scottish Government's pledge to implement Lord Cullen's recommendations to improve Fatal Accident Inquiry legislation.

These inquiries, known as FAIs, cover many type of deaths, but many others are not automatically included and their role in the overall justice system was evaluated.

The issue of safety at work is highlighted this week as the 10th anniversary of the ICL Stockline explosion in Maryhill is remembered. Nine people went out to work on May 11, 2004, just like millions of others on an ordinary day - but by that midday it was anything but ordinary.

Each time there is a single event tragedy, such as Stockline or Piper Alpha, there follows inquiries and investigations in the hope lessons are learned and mistakes not repeated.

There are also many other cases where individuals are killed or seriously injured in workplace accidents that obviously do not attract as much attention as something like Stockline. But these thousands of individual tragedies, taken together, represent a huge issue - that of safety at work.

Other long-running campaigns, such as the fight for compensation for people suffering asbestos-related illnesses, illustrate the dangers faced by ordinary working people unaware of the dangers posed by their daily working lives.

Only through the determination of the families, with some political support, was the insurance industry forced to accept its responsibilities.

What needs attention is the responsibilities of employers and individuals to ensure the working environment is as safe as possible and that corners are not cut to reduce costs or speed up completion of a job.

Many people and organisations have been long campaigning for tougher laws and greater penalties if there is negligence. Families Against Corporate Killing is one and the STUC provided support for the bereaved families after the Maryhill tragedy.

There are, however, others who feel there is too much bureaucracy, red tape and too many rules and regulations covering employment whose favourite phrase is "health and safety gone mad".

Construction, the railways, manufacturing and off-shore work are just some industries where health and safety must be as stringent as possible and followed to the letter.

Tragedies such as ICL Stockline show what happens when health and safety is not afforded the priority it deserves.

The ICL Inquiry, by Lord Gill, concluded: "This was an avoidable disaster. There can be no debate as to its cause." The risks were not identified, weaknesses in the health and safety regime and inspection and regulatory system were also identified.

Health and safety at work is not an inconvenience, it is a matter of life and death.

We ignore it at our peril.