Falls From Height
In 2007/08 58 people were killed and more than 3,600 seriously
injured due to falls from height. Falls from height are the most
common cause of workplace fatalities. Falls are also the second
most common cause of major injury to employees, accounting for
around 15% of all such injuries.
The main cause of all falls from height injuries is falling from
ladders but falls can occur at any height. The key controls to
prevent these accidents are: identification of activities and
precautions involving falls from height; selection and use of
appropriate equipment; maintenance of equipment; and effective
systems to select and control contractors.
All industry sectors are exposed to the risks presented by this
hazard although the level of incidence varies considerably.
Experience shows that falls from height usually occur as a
result of poor management control rather than because of equipment
failure.
On 6th April 2005, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 came into
force. If you are required to work at height, your employer is
required to carry out a risk assessment and decide whether
precautions are needed.
Common factors include:
- Failure to recognise a problem.
- Failure to provide safe systems of work.
- Failure to ensure that safe systems of work are followed.
- Inadequate information, instruction, training or supervision
provided.
- Failure to use appropriate equipment;
- Failure to provide safe plant/equipment.
Your employer must consider:
- Can the work be done other than at height? (Avoid)
- Can measures be put in place such as barriers and rails to
prevent a fall? (Prevent)
- Can the effects of a fall be minimised by fall arrest systems?
(Mitigate)
- Equipment used at height and safety measures must be suitable
and maintained in good repair.
Our Key messages are:
- Follow good practice for work at height
- Follow your risk assessment; plan and organise your work
properly; and make sure everyone involved is competent to their
level or responsibility;
- Try to avoid the need for work at height where you can; where
you can't, take steps to prevent falls; where you cannot prevent a
fall then you must mitigate the risk of injury should a fall
occur.
- Always select collective measures to prevent falls (such as
guardrails and working platforms) before other measures which may
only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall (such as nets
or airbags) or which may only provide personal protection from a
fall.
For further information on the new duties concerning the Work at
Height Regulations 2005, please visit the link below.