How To Ensure Safety When Working At Height

Don’t be at risk

Studies show that £12 billion is lost through accidents in the UK every year. 25% of these accidents are from working at height. With such a large number of accidents and money being lost, precautions need to be put in place to ensure the safety of you and your employees. In high-risk environments, such as working in metal fabrication, working from height can be even more dangerous, this is why it is important that your business has safety and control measures.

Safety Measures

Before working at height, the question should be asked whether it is totally necessary or if there is a safer alternative. When it cannot be avoided, making sure you are using the right equipment will minimise the threat of accidents and injury. This can also be done by reducing the distance between where the work is being carried out and the ground, so if an accident does occur, the risk of serious injury is significantly lessened.

Regularly checking and maintaining equipment is a necessity when working at height. Ensuring ladders and other equipment aren’t faulty or broken can be the difference between successfully completing work or a major accident occurring.

Another factor to take into consideration is that the area around where the work is being carried out should be clear. If you are working up a ladder, people walking or carrying out work nearby could cause the ladder to be knocked and an accident to happen. Also, making sure workers have protection from falling objects will decrease the risk of an accident.

Overloading ladders when working at height seriously increases the chances of an accident happening. Excess weight on top of a ladder will cause it to become unbalanced and tip over. Consider checking the labels on ladders before work starts to see the maximum weight that they can hold.

The person carrying out the work at height should be trained and competent. Sufficient training should be given to employees so they understand how to work at height safely and the risks that are involve. Ensuring all staff have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to work at height will greatly improve the safety of your business.

How we can help

At C&C, we fabricate a range of different products that can help keep you and your workers safe whilst working at height. From mezzanine floors, safety barriers, bollards, machine guards, suspended walkways and platforms to staircases, lifting frames and work stations.

The services we offer include; welding, cutting, punching, folding, powder coating and laser cutting.

If you’re concerned about the safety of your work environment or would like to enquire about our metal fabrication services, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us today.