NEBOSH
Falls from height
Every year hundreds of accidents and incidents are recorded as a result of working at height activities . Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries in the UK and accounted for nearly three in ten fatal injuries to workers ( 41 out of 142 ) during 2014 / 15 . Almost half of fatal falls took place in construction ( 20 out of 41 fatal fall injuries ).
Work at height means work in any place where , if there were no precautions in place , a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury . Risk is fairly obvious in certain workplace environments such as working on a roof or ladder . In other environments , risk may be less obvious ; if you could fall into a hole in the ground , for example .
Employers and those in control of any work at height activity must make sure the work is properly planned , supervised and carried out safely . This includes using the right type of equipment for working at height and ensuring that any people engaged in the work are ‘ competent ’.
How do you decide if someone is ‘ competent ’ to work at height ?
Employers should make sure that people have the necessary skills , knowledge and experience to perform the task , or , if they are being trained , that they work under the supervision of somebody competent to do it .
MRS Training & Rescue is a leading nationwide ( ISO 9001:2000 approved ) Health & Safety training provider to many businesses and industries throughout the UK . They offer first class facilities to deliver a range of key height related training courses for people who are engaged in this safety critical work . 16
HSE INTERNATIONAL