Focus On Falls From Height Protection At Work

Government data for 2023/24 shows that 50 workers were killed in falls from height at work. In fact, such falls were the largest reported cause of death for the period. In the same period, 8% of all reported non-fatal accidents were linked to falls from height. As you can see, working at height can be dangerous and, as such, steps should be taken to try and minimise the risk of staff injuries.

In this blog post, you’ll read about some common protections that can be taken to try and stop falls from height at work. We’ll focus on what equipment can be used to try and prevent employees from falling, what planning is needed before working at height is performed and what UK regulations and laws need to be adhered to.

Common Causes Of Falls From Height

Falls from height at work can be caused by a variety of different factors and circumstances. One common cause is faulty or poorly maintained equipment. For example, a worker could easily fall from height and suffer serious injuries because they were given a ladder with a damaged or loose rung.

Similarly, if a scaffold is poorly designed or erected incorrectly, there is a serious risk that anybody who uses it will fall and injure themselves.

Another reason why falls from height at work occur is when there is a lack of protection in place to prevent such accidents from occurring. For example, if a worker decides to work on a cherry picker without using a safety harness (or they are told to), they could easily be thrown from the basket if working in adverse weather conditions. A lack of a properly fitting hard hat could also mean the worker would suffer more serious head and brain injuries as a result of the fall.

Finally, falls from height in the workplace can happen when workers have not been properly trained on how to work safely. For example, they may not know how to get down from a scaffold in an emergency if they have not received adequate training and this could cause them to panic and fall.

We realise that these are just some of the common causes of falls from height at work and that there many more reasons why falls might happen.

Common Injuries Caused By Falls From Height

As you might imagine (and as the stats provided earlier show), falls from height can result in catastrophic injuries as well as fatalities.

Some of the most common injuries caused by falls from height include:

• Broken bones.
• Traumatic brain injuries.
• Spinal cord fractures leading to paralysation.
• Internal organ injuries.
• Severe bruising, nerve damage and soft tissue injuries.

On top of the physical risks, falls from height can result in serious psychological suffering. This can include depression (linked to serious injuries), flashbacks and, in severe cases, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Compliance With UK Regulations

The most relevant law regarding working at height in UK workplaces is the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

In basic terms, it means that:

• Work at height must only be carried out if absolutely necessary.
• All work must be properly planned.
• The correct equipment has to be provided by the employer and used throughout the process.
• The weather conditions need to be considered before work commences.
• All equipment must be checked regularly and maintained properly.

Essentially, employers are responsible for the safety of their employees. Therefore, the risks of working at height must be properly assessed, controlled and mitigated for wherever possible.

Failure to comply with the law could result in criminal prosecution and substantial fines if the company is found to be guilty. Additionally, if an employee makes a personal injury claim after they fell off a ladder at work, for example, the employer could end up paying compensation to cover their loss of mobility, care costs and loss of earnings for many years to come.

What You Can Do To Stay Safe While Working At Height

So, now that we know about the causes and implications of falls from height at work, what protections can be put in place to prevent them?

Working At Height PPE

Well, firstly, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should always be provided to staff who are working at height if there is no other way of preventing them from being injured. This might include safety harnesses, hard hats and self-retracting lanyards.

In addition to PPE, there are other safety devices that could help to prevent staff from falling from height at work including guardrails, safety nets and well designed safety platforms.

Importantly, there is no one-size-fits-all solution so if staff must work at height, a proper risk assessment should be carried out and any safety solutions and PPE requirements should be based on its results. Furthermore, safety equipment must be checked regularly to ensure that it will work properly in the event of an emergency.

Proper Planning & Risk Assessment

If it’s deemed necessary for staff to work at height, proper planning must be performed by their employer before any work takes place. Initially, this involves assessing the task and the work area to try and identify any potential hazards including adverse weather, uneven surfaces and falling objects. Control measures can then be implemented to try and counter the risks of these hazards.

A method statement should also be written to set out exactly how the task at hand will be performed, what equipment is needed, when the work will be carried out and any specific safety measures. All staff should have their roles clearly explained and proper supervision or management should be in place at all times.

Finally, when planning for working at height, emergency procedures should be clearly defined. Management should know these protocols inside and out and they should properly train staff so that they can respond to any emergencies as safely as possible.

To help companies reduce the risk of working at height, a step-by-step guide has been written by the Health and Safety Executive.

Training & Awareness

As we’ve touched upon already, all the safety procedures in the world will not necessarily prevent falls from height if staff are not trained properly. Therefore, before anybody starts working on a scaffold, uses a ladder or operates a lifting platform, employers should check that they have received the correct level of safety training. What’s more, this training should be refreshed if it hasn’t been performed for some time.

A good way to keep staff up to date with the latest safety requirements is to perform regular drills and exercises to emulate what might happen if somebody did fall from height. By doing so, staff should understand the role they’ll play if a real situation were to occur.

The best way to improve workplace safety in many situations is to foster a safety culture that allows staff to highlight any ideas they have and to report any incidents or near misses that they have spotted. Any feedback provided by staff should then be assessed by the employer and considered when designing new safety precautions.

To Conclude

In this blog post, we have shown that it is possible to provide protection from falls from height at work. One key way to protect staff is to train them on how to work at height safely and to provide them with the correct PPE where required.

It is also vital that any work at height is properly planned out and safety systems like handrails, safety nets and guardrails are installed before anybody starts work. Taking these steps could help companies to meet their obligations on UK safety regulations.

If you have been injured at work following a fall from height at work, you could be entitled to claim compensation for the suffering caused. This compensation could help to speed up your recovery or cover any costs linked to your injuries. Please get in touch if this is something you’re considering as we might be able to help you start a fall-from-height compensation claim.

While working at height does come with some risks, it is possible for everybody to go home safely after work when the correct safety measures are implemented.