Research from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has found that many construction workers are “dicing with death” while working at height
Nearly half of workers have admitted to taking shortcuts in construction safety while working at heights to save time or meet deadlines, despite the fact that falls from height are the leading cause of fatal injuries at work.
The issue is exacerbated by a lack of training
A fifth of surveyed employees also stated that they had not received any training on safely working at height, and one in seven said they believed their boss or those contracting them would want them to ignore safety issues to complete the task quickly.
If not fatal, falls from height can also easily cause life-changing injuries, mental health issues, and financial problems.
Kelly Nicoll, IOSH president, said: “Each of these deaths is a tragedy that could be avoided. The same goes for those who have been injured. And it’s not just about those who have fallen; we need to consider the family and friends who are left to cope with what’s happened and the colleagues, some of whom may be traumatised from seeing the incident themselves.
“I’ve had to deal with two serious falls from height through my work and they both still live with me today. That’s why we want to raise awareness of this issue, to stop people taking shortcuts with safety and to prevent harm from happening.
“Our survey results show that these shortcuts are still happening, in some cases because the workers themselves feel pressured to do so. These people are dicing with death. We want businesses to ensure they have the processes in place for safe work at height and those doing the work to follow these to protect themselves and others.”
HSE investigations can lead to companies being fined for failing to enforce safety measures
In May, a cladding company and its director were fined £225,000 after a worker died from falling through a roof while replacing panels.
Camclad Contractors Limited was investigated by HSE following the incident and found that no site visit took place before work began, having only been planned using photographs, meaning Camclad was not aware of building dimensions or details.
This lead to the cherry picker the company hired not being high enough for safe access to height, and workers had to leave the cherry picker to work on the roof. This in turn lead to the 61-year-old slipping and falling through to the roof to a concrete floor.
The director of the company was also sentenced to four months in prison, with a 12-month suspended sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work.
HSE principal inspector Damian Corbett said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information and instruction to their workers in the safe system of working.
“If the work had been adequately planned, it would have provided a suitable safe system of work and prevented the risk of falls through fragile materials. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those who fall below the required standards.”
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