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Health & Safety ■
High risk
The perils of working at height are spelled out in some grim
statistics from the HSE. In this latest of his regular H&S
columns for ShD, Michael Collier of SESS (Storage
Equipment Safety Service), highlights the dangers.
In 2003/04 there were 67 fatal accidents at balling in Staffordshire, 8th March; in as safe a way as is reasonably practicable.
work directly as a result of working at • A workman died during the construction of All emergencies must be considered and a
height as well as 4,000 major injuries. the Welsh assembly’s debating chamber when rescue plan put into place. Consideration must
Working at height remains the biggest a wall collapsed throwing him from his be given to both conscious and unconscious
cause of workplace deaths and one of the ladder, an inquest has heard, 2nd March. casualties. The longer a casualty is suspended
main causes of major injury. The Working at Height Regulations 2005 without moving, the greater the chance there
When you consider these statistics, it does have been introduced to prevent the deaths is of suspension trauma developing. The time
make you wonder why we have yet to fully and injuries caused each year by falls at work. frame for rescue is within 10 minutes. Good
manage and control the workplace risks They have replaced all earlier regulations planning also requires practice drills to ensure
related to working at height, consider the about working at height and implemented the that you are able to effect a rescue within this
following concerns, which are by no means a EC Directive 2001/45/EC concerning time frame. For further information on
complete list,reported on the HSE website* in minimum safety and health requirements for guidance to rescue during work at height,
the first three weeks of March 2007: the use of equipment for working at height. contact www.wahsa.org.uk, which issues a
• Worker “serious” after he fell 35ft through A place is deemed to be at ‘height’ if a number of informative articles for all
the roof of a warehouse and fell on his head, person could be injured falling from it, even if industries involved with work at height or
21st March; it is at or below ground level. The regulations rescue.
• Specialist rope teams rescue window apply to all work at height where there is a Planning should also take into account
cleaners working on a city centre retail block risk of a fall liable to cause injury. There are weather conditions that may impact on those
after they got stuck 13 floors up, 20th March; various duties placed upon employers, the self involved.
• A builder is in intensive care after falling employed and any other person who controls Regulation 3 of the Management of Health
more than 6m from the first floor of a the work of others. Employees have their and Safety at Work Regulations also requires
construction site into a skip, 11th March; duties too; they must report any safety hazard that a risk assessment must be carried out at
• A man has suffered a broken leg and chest to their ‘manager’ and use the equipment the planning stage.
injuries after a 50 tonne crane he was driving supplied properly, following training and
toppled over as it was lifting a boat, 9th instruction. The only exception is where they Training
March; consider it to be unsafe, in which case they Workers involved in the process will require
• A worker has died after being trapped by a must speak with their manager. effective training and it is a requirement of the
roof which collapsed on top of him at a paint- The regulations state that you must do all Regulations that everyone involved is
that is reasonably practicable to prevent competent (or if being trained then supervised
anyone from falling. There is also a hierarchy by a competent person), this includes the
of control measures for managing and involvement of people in organisation,
selecting equipment for working at height: planning, supervision and the supply and
• Avoid work at height where possible; maintenance of equipment. Training will also
• Use work equipment or other measures to be required in all elements of rescue work.
prevent falls where they can’t avoid working
at height; The work place
• Where they cannot eliminate the risk of a You will need to ensure that, where the
fall, use work equipment or other measures to working at height is to be undertaken, the area
minimise the distance or consequences of a is safe and has features to prevent a fall.
fall should one occur;
• Where work at height is to be undertaken, Equipment
the following areas should be addressed: When selecting equipment for working at
height, you must choose the most suitable
Planning equipment, give collective measures (eg guard
All work that is to be undertaken requires rails) priority over personal protective
proper planning and organisation. This will measures (eg safety harnesses) and take into
include effective supervision and carried out account the working conditions and the risks
* www.hse.gov.uk/falls/news.htm
www.PressOnShD.com May 2007 ShD 27
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