SAFE WORK AT HEIGHT

Does anyone actually enjoy working at height?

My guess is no, unless you have some sort of sado- masochistic tendencies.  Going 2 steps up a ladder makes me giddy so the thought of actually having to use ones hands to hold a piece of machinery/equipment and do something while up there, rather than holding on for dear life, terrifies me.

One of the most common accidents involving working at height (over two thirds of all work at height related accidents) are caused by low level falls whilst using ladders and stepladders incorrectly, overstretching from ladders and standing on benches or chairs to reach high surfaces.

I’m pretty sure we could all admit to one of these crimes at one time or another.  I’m certainly guilty as charged!

It is however a necessary evil and one that many of our clients have to deal with on a daily basis. If only everyone got to work on single storey builds eh? Life would be a whole lot simpler and safer. With working at height inevitably comes risk, in 2017/18, 35 workers died as result of an accident caused by working at height. That’s 3 deaths per month, an increase on the previous year.

According to the latest HSE statistics, there were also 44,400 non-fatal accidents involving falls from height across all industries. That’s 121 work at height related accidents everyday. Hideous figures, I’m sure you will agree. Furthermore, over 60% of deaths during work at height involve falls from ladders, scaffolds, working platforms, roof edges and through fragile roofs.

Ok, enough with the scary figures.  We are talking now about you and your workers, protecting them, staying compliant with health and safety legal and regulatory obligations and ensuring that none of you are included in next year’s statistics. So how do you do this?  Well in reality its pretty straightforward, first you need a trained and competent workforce and secondly you need to risk assess the work and devise a Safe System of Work which should be detailed and communicated to your trained and competent workforce through your Risk Assessments and Method Statements.

Your Safety Advisor Ltd provides online Work at Height safety training courses that tell it like it is.  This online work at height safety training course is ideal for those carrying out general work at height activities, including the use of ladders/step ladders, working on scaffolding and working on roofs etc.  So make sure your staff are trained and competent it is after all your legal duty to provide relevant Health and Safety Training for all of your staff and our online safety training makes this easy and cost effective for employers.

We can also prepare detailed risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) for any works you are planning involving working at height detailing how to carry out the works safely and without unnecessary risk to your workers or others affected by your works.