What to do if you’re injured while working at heights
Posted on 7th Apr, 2015 | By Lorretta Tatham
Working at a height and using access equipment certainly has its dangers. In fact, falls from a height were the most common cause of fatalities in 2013/14 – when the latest figures were released by HSE.
They accounted for nearly three in ten fatal injuries to workers, while slips and trips in the workplace were the most common cause of specified injuries.
Slips, trips and falls from a height not only severely impact an employee’s health and life, they also can have a huge impact on a business.
Together, these incidents have a combined estimated 1.5 million working days lost – falls specifically accounting for 567,000 of those working days lost each year.
But what should you do if you get injured while working at a height?
Steps to take following an injury
When injured at work there are mandatory processes to follow.
All accidents, however trivial, must be recorded in your employer’s accident book. This will ensure that if there are further complications down the line, relating to your injury, you have evidence of the incident.
An accident log book may help you should you need to claim compensation or take time off work.
Most importantly, it’s a useful resource for employers to review safety in the workplace and implement new safety and / or training mechanisms should they be required.
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations (known as RIDDOR), your employer also has a duty to report work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous incidents to Health and Safety department at your local authority.
After an accident takes place, your employer should review the accident and carry out a risk assessment to prevent it from happening again.
This may mean a review of equipment, an increase in the number of first aiders, or anything else that contributes to better health and safety in the workplace.
Remember, whatever the cause of your accident, your employer has a legal duty to protect you and ensure you’re aware of health and safety issues.
It’s key that they report any accident in an accident book, pay you sick pay, and give you time off should your accident warrant it.
Prevent accidents in the workplace with our training
Maintaining your awareness of health and safety principles can help save your life.
We recommend that before using any access equipment you attend relevant safety training courses.
Our training courses are carried out by experienced, qualified professionals and cover the Work at Height regulations as well as correct safety training to prevent unnecessary injuries.
We have more generic courses available, such as our Working at Heights course, as well as more specific training relating to access equipment, for example, our In House Mobile Towers Course.
To find out more about the courses we have on offer, visit our safety training page or contact us on 01282 615 517
