Keeping safe whilst working on access equipment

Posted on 29th Sep, 2014 | By Lorretta Tatham

Hundreds of employees fall when working from heights every year. So ensuring the safety of your employees – or yourself, if you’re the one carrying out the work – is absolutely critical. The use of hi-vis jackets and hard hats are not much use if you or an employee were to fall off a roof. Instead you need to take action to use safety accessories, which actually prevent falls from happening in the first place. There are a number of products available to use alongside good access equipment to ensure employee safety, and today on the Browns blog, we’ll be covering just a few of the key products you should consider using on the job.

Key safety accessories to consider

Safety harnesses and belts

Safety harnesses offer continuous hands free attachment to the anchorage point. This enables workers to undertake work safely, confidently and at ease. There are a number of different types of harnesses available – including bespoke solutions. These bespoke solutions aren’t always cheap, but they will ensure the safety of workers if the job is very specific. You’ll find a number of Ladder belts in the Browns Ladders range. They too help to maintain one of the three points of contact when using access equipment.

Fall arresters

Fall arresters are components of the fall arrest system, which are attached between the harness and an anchoring point. They have the task of stopping a fall as quickly as possible. Again, there are a number of different types of fall arresters depending on your requirements.

Stabilisers and mats

Securing your ladder with a stabiliser and / or mat is a very good idea. Specialised mats – which we feature in the Browns Ladders accessories range – reduce the risk of slipping on surfaces such as grass or tarmac. Our stabilisers also ensure worker safety, eliminating the ladder bounce. They’ve been accepted by the HSE as a safe alternative to footing.

Safety feet

Safety feet work in a similar way to safety mats. They can be fitted to give extra grip on different floor surfaces and can be found in the Browns Ladders collection

Invest in further training

In addition to using these safety accessories, it is of upmost importance that you work sensibly, following all working at height guidelines and regulations. You can find a number of helpful guides on working safely at a height on our blog. We detail how to carry out risk assessments and how to conduct yourself during work time on access equipment such as a ladder. You may also like to book on to one of our working at height safety training courses such as our Working at Height training course. On completion of this course you’ll be able to use all your job specific fall protection equipment with a high level of efficiency and confidence.

For more information on safety accessories at Browns Ladders or our safety training courses, get in touch! You can call us on 01282 615517 or drop us a message on the contact form online.

What safety accessories do you recommend when using access equipment? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @BrownsLadders