What are the Main Hazards When Working at Height?
What are the Main Hazards of Working at Height? Hazards of Working at Height The UK sees a high number of workplace incidents related to
October 11, 2022
In a recent LinkedIn post, a picture was shared of a temporary roof structure over a busy street in London. The structure was deemed so unsafe that a technical advisor for the NASC commented that “dangerous is an understatement.” The post sparked concern about the state of health and safety in the industry.
An alarming photo posted on LinkedIn showed a precarious temporary roof structure erected over a busy London street, causing widespread concern. In response, a technical advisor for the NASC deemed it “dangerously inadequate”. A concerned individual took action by reporting the unsafe structure to both Lewisham Building Control and the HSE. Despite providing a thorough report highlighting the flaws and potential collapse, the HSE’s response was disappointing with a lack of action, stating “it’s not our responsibility”.
Working at height in the construction industry presents hazardous conditions, particularly for scaffolders who work long hours in physically and mentally challenging environments. Unfortunately, scaffolders and construction workers in the UK are frequently subjected to mistreatment, including by professional bodies like the HSE, who lack technical scaffolding knowledge and safe work systems understanding.
This disregard for industry culture, along with a lack of understanding, has resulted in capable individuals being disregarded or diminished, while those with limited knowledge or qualifications are often mistaken as experts.
When working at height in construction, safety harnesses are frequently recommended by safety experts for scaffolders. However, some may question the necessity of harnesses for scaffold erection.
When choosing a harness, it’s crucial to ensure it’s suitable for the specific project. For instance, electrical installations may require a combination of fall arrest and positioning, in which case a 5-point harness with waist connections for positioning would be suitable.
Safety harnesses typically include webbing, D-rings on the side, rear and front, lanyard connections, and adjustable waist and leg straps. Wearing the wrong harness, improper use, or neglecting inspections can result in severe injury or death in case of a fall.
Read here if you want to learn more on how important it is that a Harness must be examined or have anyone inspect it at all times.
The quality of scaffolding inspections in the UK is a real concern, with too many inadequate inspections taking place. As a minimum, scaffolding used as a working platform should be inspected at least once a week and after any adverse weather or other events that may affect safety.
If an inspection hasn’t been conducted in the past 7 days, the scaffolding should not be used until it has been inspected. Despite these issues, there are excellent safety professionals from scaffolding and non-scaffolding backgrounds in the industry at all levels, including at companies like Scaffolding Direct London.
What are the Main Hazards of Working at Height? Hazards of Working at Height The UK sees a high number of workplace incidents related to
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