Falls from height are a major cause of workplace injury, especially in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Falls from height can also arise in many other workplaces, including warehouses, factories and even office buildings. If a worker is not wearing the right safety gear or it doesn’t fit properly, accidents can happen more easily.
Falling From Height
When working at height in construction, poor safety measures can easily lead to serious injuries, and in some scenarios, even death. If you don’t take the proper precautions, you could fall and cause an injury to yourself or others around you. Note: older workers are more at risk of injury from a fall from height.
Falls From 3 Metres Can Be Fatal
Falls from height can cause serious injury, whether long-term or short-term, including paralysis, broken limbs, and fractured skulls. If you’re working in an environment where falls are a risk, then it’s important that you know the correct procedures to follow so that you can protect yourself. Any fall that is from a height of 3 metres or more increases the risk of serious injury or death.
3 Main Sources Of Falls
In the UK, falls are one of the leading causes of death in construction. There are three main sources of falls:
• Falls from roofs
• Falls from ladders
• Falls from scaffolding
These types of falls are often broken into subcategories based on how high a person fell and whether it was an accident.
Actions To Prevent Falls From Heights
As with all hazards, the best way to prevent injury from a fall from height is through risk management. Employers should have a comprehensive fall prevention plan in place and ensure that it’s implemented effectively. The following are some actions an employer can take to prevent falls:
• Use a fall prevention system: This could be as simple as providing personal protective equipment such as harnesses or safety lines, or it could include installing guardrails and safety nets around machinery or scaffolding on high structures.
• Train workers: Training workers on how to use the personal protective equipment provided to them by their employers is essential, including how to put harnesses on correctly and safely operate lanyards/securing devices so that they won’t accidentally become disconnected.
For more advice on preventing falls from height, contact Ability International today.
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