Searching all the H.S.E. statistical analysis, deaths connected with work at heights reduced in the 2008/9 year by 33% over the average of the prior 3 years so I guess as health and safety experts we can all give ourselves a pat on the back? Since the inception of the particular Working at Height Regulations 2005 this indicates a apparent improvement doesn’t it?
Well, like with most research studies these can easily be easily read along with a some cynicism, but a decline from 55 during 2007/8 to 35 the subsequent yr is definitely a great step up. Nonetheless, far more desponding you will find Major Accident data, the step-up of 42% to 4654 and so the 3+ day injury rate, a 78% step-up to 7065.
Enhancements and the actual adoption of the actual safety apparatus including fall arrests, fall prevention and safe landing have without a doubt started to create an impression on the number of fatalities, but they also possess the potential to bring challenges of their very own just like suspension trauma amd strains and sprains.
Method Statements and Risk Assessments which I’ve come across have built in fall prevention along with fall mitigation, although will I see 1 which contains a rescue plan should something take place at height or depth, a rescue plan should really the fall arrest equipment be utilised or exactly how the company is going to evaluate their working practices versus their particular plan.
Reading further in to the H.S.E. provided figures is even more disturbing. The particular employer analysis 2007 indicates than 16% take advantage of safety equipment to control the hazards, less than than 31% apply risk assessment to control the hazards and 38% of firms think they can do nothing more to control the hazards. Try telling that to the 12289 people harmed during 2008/9?
Compare this along with the actual staff study in which under half of employees working at height have been given instruction in the hazards, and nearly Sixty Percent of those interviewed state their supervisors had not examined the working methods with respect to them working at height in the preceding 12 months.
It might be fascinating to observe if the the greater part of the accidents happened inside of these types of firms but I am afraid you can’t glean that from the stats given. It certainly begs the concerns though of how the actual method statements and also risk assessments were unique to the task being undertaken if the supervisors had not been to see the work or done any kind of audit or even assessment of the working practices against these.
Many of us need to be grateful that there have been less fatalities however we should be increasingly alert to the possibilities for work at height events happening in the first place. Tighter working at height legislation has assisted, I am positive, though practical application of safe working practice to properly trained as well as focused people with more communication with employers and supervisors may improve things more.
Whenever all of us have assisted lower fall from height deaths, far better still gotten rid of them and made great improvements to the serious injuries caused from these incidents, we may modestly congratulate ourselves.
For more information on working at height check out the site on Health And Safety