Falls from height continues to be the largest causes of major injuries and fatalities.  About 4000 working at height-related accidents occur each year at work and the most common cases are falls from ladders and through fragile services. Alarmingly, two thirds of all major injuries at work are caused by ‘low falls’ A low fall is a fall from a height below 2 metres.  A high fall is a fall from a height of more than 2 metres.

5 Top Tips for Preventing Falls from Height:

1. As with all work activities, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is key to preventing falls from height. The planned activity and location should also be assessed immediately before work takes place, in case there have been any changes since the original assessment took place. The above case is a good example, in terms of missing panels that had not been put back following previous works.
2. All parties involved should be made aware of the findings of the risk assessment, so there needs to be procedures in place to ensure good communication of the hazards, control measures and any changes to the planned works.
3. In terms of control measures, eliminating the need to work at height is usually the best option. However, in reality, that isn’t always possible. Use suitable work equipment such as a working platform, or an existing safe area with a permanent guardrail, and make sure workers can reach it safely.
4. All works should be supervised, and the job undertaken by competent staff. Assessing someone’s competency would include looking at their experience, knowledge and skillset, as well as their qualifications.
5. Consider both personal and collective measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, where some risk does remain, such as fall arrest equipment or safety nets.

Most falls from height can be prevented, by ensuring proper planning of the work and by selecting the right equipment for the job. When equipment is not suitable, it can lead to workers finding other ways to complete the job, which can have fatal consequences.

You can download HSE’s Working at Height Brief Guide Here

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5 Top tips for working at height

Working in the construction industry can make it difficult to avoid working at heights on a  daily basis. Although it may not be possible to avoid the risk you can ensure that you manage it by being aware of how to work safely.

Working at height safely is the responsibly of your employer as well as yourself. You should always be aware of the risks and ensure these are managed correctly. Every new job you are asked to work on will have been fully risk assessed and you should see a copy of this before you start. These risks have been measured on the sequence of events you are working too, if these change you need to be aware of what to look out for to ensure your safety.

1. Where possible try to use extendable tools or mechanical assistance to avoid you working at height.
2. Try to identify a safe place to work that is already in place, e.g  a concrete flat roof or guarded mezzanine floor.
3. Never work on a surface that is vulnerable such as glass roof. If this is not possible explore the use of machinery such as  an elevated work platform or a tower scaffold.
4. Try and minimise the distance of a possible fall, there are numerous ways to do this safely
5. For jobs requiring a small distance form the ground, Stepladders and Platform Ladders are a suitable option. These can only be used where the risk has been deemed as low.

If you are still unsure and would like to look at refreshing your knowledge we offer an e-learning course for you to sit whenever is convenient for you.

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In May 2015 the HSE reported on 44 cases involving companies that were found negligent resulting in average fines of £10k per company.

The latest case being a property company in Lancashire who have been fined £14,400 plus full HSE prosecution costs of £1,276 and a victim surcharge of £200. They failed to protect their employee whilst working at height.

45% of deaths (19 of 42) in Britain on Construction Sites last year were as a result of falls from height and 581 workers suffered major injuries (35% of the total).

We are making a conscious effort to make sure all companies big or small are aware of the risks involved in working at heights.

If you need an up to date Risk Assessment and Method Statement we are offering a free download.

The HSE offer comprehensive guidance and information free of charge to download  http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm so that all companies have the resources available to them to ensure they comply.

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