Working at height remains the key reason for major fatalities and injuries. Some of the most common causes include falls from a ladder or fragile surfaces. It is vital to take health and safety seriously in today’s workplaces.

According to a study from Unison, an average of 50 workplace fatalities occurs every year and a major cause of these accidents or incidents occurs due to working at height.

It presents a variety of hazards for workers that would not typically be found when working at ground level and it has increased the chances of death or other severe injuries.

Therefore, it is vital to ensure that employers conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify the hazards and implement practical control measures to minimize the hazard.

What is Work at Height?

Working at height is any work that is undertaken at the height which could cause potentially fatal or serious injury.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

“Working in any place, if proper precautions are not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause serious injury.”

You are working at height if you:

·         Work above the ground

·         Could fall from the edge

·         Could fall from the ground level

Common Safety Risks of Working at Height

When talking about the most common risks, there are certain activities involving working at height that pose obvious risks.

They are generally categorized into two things:

1.    Falling from Heights

The risks of falling from height range from near misses to fatalities. The construction workers regularly work at height and the consequences of falling from height are serious.

Whether it is climbing ladders, lowering from the harness, or even climbing scaffolding, the risks significantly become severe indeed.

This puts a legal duty on companies and their employers to take whatever steps possible to ensure the safety of their staff including adequate training that teaches them how to work safely and control the risks in case of an emergency.

2.    Dropping Equipment from Height

Alongside falling from a height, another common and serious hazard is dropping equipment from height. People may think that the impact of dropping equipment is less as compared to falling from a height, but it is equally harmful.

Dropping equipment can cause severe fatal injuries including fractures, paralysis, or even death. Therefore, knowing the consequences and taking appropriate steps can help prevent many accidents.

Inadequate Risk Assessment

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states how incidents and accidents while working at height are a major reason for injuries and fatalities. Notably, the risk factor includes falling off or from the roofs. Staff, therefore, should be highly proficient and competent with the skills and equipment to carry out work safely.

Another main reason for these accidents or incidents is due to inadequate risk assessment. Employers must regularly inspect and identify workplace hazards. And an adequate risk assessment in this regard helps a lot in identifying and controlling such risks to safety and health. 

Insufficient Control Measures

When talking about preventive control measures, some workplaces have insufficient or lack control measures that can lead to severe health hazards that are reversible. Therefore, employers must go through these steps before their staff starts working at height.

·         Avoid working at height where it is reasonably possible to do so

·         If working at height is avoidable, then take necessary precautions and use the right equipment to work safely

·         Reduce the distance and consequence of falls, where height is avoidable

Appropriate Training

As discussed above, employers have a legal duty to protect their staff from any workplace accident or injury. This can be achieved if proper instruction, guidance, and working at height risk assessment training is given to them.

Such training is ideal to teach them ways to assess, identify and control working at height hazards. It also helps them meet legal compliance to ensure safety as well as those around them.

Conclusion

This article thoroughly explains what height work is, the primary and the most common reasons for working at height injuries, how these affect, and what control measures can help prevent them.

It further explains the legal duties of employers in this regard to avoid such incidents and work and the importance of adequate staff training in this regard.