UK companies ignore work at height laws!

Posted on 5th Feb, 2013 | By Lorretta Tatham

After reading the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) most recent statistics, we noticed that many UK companies are ignoring work at height laws, even though falls remain the most common reason for injuries.

Figures reveal that 17 workers died and 3,000 were seriously wounded in falls from height in 2011/12.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 law was passed to protect employees who work with ladders, scaffolding or any equipment for working from height.

This legislation is designed to ensure businesses plan their work at height safety properly with only fully trained workers using the equipment. Ideally working at height should be avoided wherever possible.

But despite the law, many organisations are not taking working at height safety seriously.

A scaffolding firm was recently prosecuted by the HSE after one of its employees died in a fall, while dismantling a scaffolding tower on a warehouse. He stepped onto a fragile skylight and 12 metres to the floor below.

The company failed to prevent workers being injured in a fall through a fragile surface.

The HSE also recently fined a Kent renovation company £8,000 after an unsupervised labourer fell more than four metres from a poorly constructed scaffold tower.

The man had multiple broken bones. It was found that none of the labourers on-site were qualified to erect a scaffold tower safely.

These incidents highlight the clear need for companies to train their employees so they understand what is expected of them.

We can help! At Browns, we can offer your company Work at Height safety training. Don’t ignore laws that are meant to protect your workers – get your employees trained.