By Wednesday this week (20th May 2015) there were already six prosecutions on the HSE website where people had fallen from height whilst a work. There is no doubt that it’s an activity that needs to be carefully planned and risk assessed.
There aren’t many hands on trade jobs that don’t involve an element of work at height these days. Whether it’s occasional work on platforms or using a scissor lift, there’s a good chance that within your risk assessment process there is a section for elevated work.
So what’s the most overlooked item on a work at height risk assessment? Many businesses forget to highlight a rescue or emergency plan should something go wrong. Make sure you are thinking about your “Plan B” when organising your work. This can be a simple as raising the alarm with the emergency services or for more complex activity, having the correct equipment available for lowering the injured person to safety.
It is a legal requirement under the Work at Height Regulations to have an emergency plan in place, your employees are trained and your equipment is safe. If you have a risk assessment where work at height is a feature, consider your emergency provisions in the regular document reviews.
Safety forward are risk management specialist for work at height. For more information contact us here