If you need any more motivation to focus on workplace safety, consider the facts. According to the HSE statistics, there are 44,400 non-fatal accidents involving falls from height per year. That works out at 121 accidents per day. Over a one-year period, upwards of 3.9 million working days have been lost owing to falls from height.
Falls from height remain the biggest killer in the workplace, taking a share of 25% of deaths over a four-year period. More than two-thirds of falls from height in the workplace are from heights less than 2m.
In this article, we hone in on this very real danger, offering some working at height construction tips and advising how you can be proactive in ensuring your and your employees’ safety.
How Do Falls From Height Happen?
As we have touched on, over two-thirds of falls from height in the workplace are from less than 2m, and many of these are due to the misuse of ladders, not using a ladder at all when attempting to reach higher levels, or accidents using access equipment. With this in mind, we recommend that companies take the following attitude towards workplace safety:
– Raise Awareness
All employees working at height must have received proper training in this area. There are many issues that need to be considered and monitored when working at height, and specific training centred on associated risks can ensure the right messages are received and understood.
– Perform Risk Assessments
As well as training, necessary measures must be taken from the outset to avoid falls from height. As a starting point, risk assessments of each work site should dictate how each project is approached, the training which is required, and the strategy which is employed.
– Ensure The Correct Equipment Is Used
When working at height, each task has a piece of equipment that is most appropriate. It is absolutely essential that the equipment used is stable and robust enough for the task. It must also be maintained properly, being checked routinely.
– Where Possible, Work From The Ground?
It may sound simple but doing everything possible to avoid working at height is an important safety measure to bear in mind. Work as much as possible from the ground, and only work at height when it is necessary.
– Attitude Is Everything
Lastly, consider that attitude is fundamental to safety when working at height. Assiduously following each part of your safety procedures and ensuring thorough preparation for each job throughout your organisation will make all the difference.
Contact the experts at Ability International to find out more.
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