MRS TRAINING & RESCUE
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. In 2015/16, figures show
there were:
▪
▪
▪
37 fatalities – 26% of all fatalities
at work in UK
5956 non-fatal injuries
Someone injured by falling from
height loses on average 9.4 days
from work
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.
Working safely at height may not require the use of
complex equipment and procedures as a suitable solution,
and you should take a sensible approach when considering
precautions for working at height. There may be some low-
risk situations where common sense tells you no particular
precautions are necessary and the law recognises this.
There is a common misconception that ladders and
stepladders are banned, but this is not the case. There
are many situations where a ladder is the most suitable
equipment for working at height.
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. Some workplaces are fairly
obvious, such as working on a roof or ladder, whereas
others may be less obvious - if you 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’.
34
HSE INTERNATIONAL
Before working at height, you must work through three
simple steps:
▪
▪
▪
Avoid work at height where it is reasonably
practicable to do so;
Where work at height cannot be avoided, prevent
falls using either an existing place of work that is
already safe or the right type of equipment;
Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, by
using the right type of equipment where the risk
cannot be eliminated.