There were 35 workplace deaths last year due to falls from height. Businesses who work at heights need to have the necessary HSE compliant procedures and precautions in place to avoid these devastating occurrences.
Not only should the potential for employees to be killed in the line of their work be an extreme cause for concern, but it can also have potentially disastrous consequences for the business if they are found to be in breach of health and safety regulations.
The ‘Work at Height’ regulations 2005 were introduced to regulate those business that work at height. The regulations do not just apply to those who work at height on a daily basis, but any work at height, where there is risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. The regulations place the responsibility on employers, and those who control any work at height activity (such as facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height).
The regulations state that:
- all work at height is properly planned and organised
- those involved in work at height are competent
- the risks from work at height are assessed, and appropriate work equipment is selected and used
- the risks of working on or near fragile surfaces are properly managed
- the equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained
So, if you are an employer or you control work at height, you should really have the necessary policies and procedures in place to comply with company law. Failure to do so could make you personally liable should something happen and you were not compliant.
Employers must take control of working at height activity by using experts such as Safety First Group to do a thorough assessment of the current implementations. The Safety First team has many years of experience in Height Risk assessment. We will carry out a full assessment and detail our findings, ensuring that you are compliant with Working at Height regulations, in a comprehensive report.
To learn more about Working at Height, please visit https://www.safetyfirstgroup.co.uk/services/working-at-height/. Alternatively, please call 0845 004 2133 or email enquiries@safetyfirstgroup.co.uk .
