If you run a business and your staff members are involved in working at height, there are many health and safety measures you will need to make sure are in place.
This is because the government and regulatory bodies are eager to ensure that fall protection and guardrail systems are in operation and are performing their role properly.
You may see such regulations as just another drain on your precious time.
After all, running a company can be tough and there are many rules you must stick to.
As well as those governing health and safety, there are employment rights issues, tax returns and other compliance obligations you must adhere to.
However, you should not be flippant when it comes to safety.
The steps you are required to take concerning workers’ wellbeing are there for a reason and that is to save lives and prevent personal tragedies.
An example of how ignoring height safety rules can affect individuals was provided recently following the conviction of two enterprises in relation to the death of a construction worker.
The man had fallen five metres from scaffolding while performing his role as part of project to build new office blocks.
He lost his life five weeks after the incident in hospital, leaving a devastated widow behind.
Commenting on her loss, she said she will mourn him for the rest of her life. She also noted that her late husband’s death was just one of many needless fatalities that have occurred in the construction industry.
Tags: fall protection, guardrail systems, height safety, working at height
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As a trainer to thousands of construction workers and fall protection, two of the worst things I see out on the job are poorly constructed guardrails or guardrails missing. It is imperative that guardrails be constructed to the capacity levels required by OSHA. However it is also important to instruct employees not to trust, or to even use the guardrail to lean on. Guardrails are for accidental contact only. A comprehensive fall protectionh safety program is necessary for best practices. There are several places where you can find safety programs. First, you can check with OSHA, or many states who run their own programs, for sample programs you may use or adapt. http://www.safetyplandownloads.com is a great site for safety programs for construction safety programs. http://www.cpwr.org is another good site with lots of information for craftworkers, and of course http://www.osha.gov ‘s site as well.