Health and Safety

Falls from height are the most common kind of accident causing fatal injuries with the latest figures showing that 39 people died from a fall from height at work in 2013/14 and 2,895 people suffered major injury as a result of a fall at work in the same period.

Falls from height were the most common cause of fatalities, accounting for nearly three in ten (29%) fatal injuries to workers (2013/14)

567,000 working days lost due to falls. (2013/14)

HSE statistics of fatal injuries 2013/14  see HSE statistics download below

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 are several sets of regulations that are relevant to the use of work platforms.

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
• Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007
• Work at Height Regulations 2005

The Work at Height Regulations 2005, apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. The regulations place duties on employers, the self employed and any person who controls the work of others. This would include facilities managers and building owners who may contract others to work at height.

What is work at height?

Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. You are working at height if you:

• work above ground/floor level
• could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface or
• could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground

Work at height does not include a slip or a trip on the level, as a fall from height has to involve a fall from one level to a lower level, nor does it include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.

  Work at Height Regulations 2005

If you would like to learn more about work at height and how access platforms can help, please call 01332 977877.