The dangers posed by working at heights are back in the spotlight following the successful prosecution of a Scottish construction firm for failing to protect a worker. Bob Towse, head of technical and safety at the HVCA, looks at the implications.
Glasgow Sheriff Court has just imposed a £20,000 fine on a local building company for failing to prevent the serious injury of an apprentice joiner. The 20-year-old fell just four metres through an opening in the floor but still suffered a severe neck injury.
The hole was covered by a loose sheet of plywood and his employer pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector who followed up the case said the accident was 'foreseeable and preventable'.
'The worker was severely injured because his employer failed to do enough about the risks associated with working at height.'
Section 2 (1) of the Act states: 'It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.'
This is deemed to include 'the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health' as well as 'the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees'.
Not unreasonable, but it is also far more than that.
The employer needs to engender a culture of health and safety among his workforce. The HSE inspector on the Glasgow case reported loose sheets of plywood were being used frequently on the site to cover openings and had been for some time. This suggests a casual disregard for the safety of everyone working on that site.
We often hear our security forces telling us that they need to be lucky all the time to keep the threat of terrorism at bay but the terrorists only need to get lucky once to cause a catastrophe. Similarly, you can be lucky for days, weeks and months, but if your approach to health and safety is generally lax one day you and one of your employees will get unlucky and you could have a fatality or serious injury on your hands.
All companies need to establish a clear policy that sets out how health and safety will be managed throughout their businesses. The policy should identify the personnel responsible and it should be reviewed annually at least. It should ensure that the health of employees and sub-contractors is not damaged by the work they do.
A process should exist to enable you to set out a safe system of work, which minimises risks to the workforce. You should also have a coherent and consistent risk assessment strategy to ensure ALL potential hazards are identified, with risks assessed and safe systems of work introduced. These systems and procedures should be relayed to the workforce and any contractors, and then monitored.
However, ultimately, this is largely about communication. You have to pass the message on right through the organisation and supply chain. Many workers will have their own concerns and they must feel able to make these known and be confident they are being taken seriously.
Near misses are crucial. You can't afford to sigh with relief, and move on. Lessons must be learned and experiences shared so the near miss doesn't turn into a fatality the next time.
There are a lot of hazards that are part and parcel of the type of work carried out by building services contractors, but if those hazards are identified and monitored then problems will be rare.
All employees need to feel valued by their employer and firms which value their employees tend to keep them safe. Firms with robust health and safety policies tend to also be the best run and most successful businesses too - and the best people want to work for them. They have a culture of success and that culture spreads to all parts of their operations.
More information about how to work safely at heights can be found at:
www.hse.gov.uk/falls