When it comes to falls from height, falls through fragile roofs continue to make up frightening percentage of the overall statistics.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falls from height remain one of the most common causes of fatality and major injury in the UK, and falls through fragile surfaces account for 22% of all those accidents from height in the construction industry.
The 2016/2017 provisional figures report that there were 25 fatalities as a result of falls from height at work in total.
Fragile roofs are defined as anywhere there is a risk of fall through the roof, such as where there are skylights, rooflights or fibre-cement panels.
The Work at Height Regulations, as amended by the Work at Height Amendment Regulations 2007, state that a legal responsibility for ensuring the safety of workers lies with anyone who contracts others to carry out work at height.
Breaching these regulations by not meeting your responsibilities can lead to either a fine or imprisonment.
In November 2017, a contractor based in Dudley was fined and sentenced to 180 hours community service and was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, after a 30-year-old labourer suffered numerous fractures to his spine, pelvis and shoulder due to a six-metre fall through a fragile roof.
The HSE investigation found that the contractor failed to address the risk of working at height and on fragile surfaces before undertaking this roofing work. He also failed to ensure that fellow workers had the adequate support to complete this work and this resulted in it being carried out in an unsafe manner.
Selecting the right equipment is key to reducing the risk of accidents and falls from height. The chosen solution needs to be secure, easy to access and meet required regulations, ensuring the work can be carried out as safely as possible.
At Easi-Dec we offer the Board-Walk system, a lightweight aluminium walkway which allows access from eaves to ridge, either horizontally or vertically, whilst spreading the load on support battens, providing the user with a safer working position.
The Board-Walk system is a perfect temporary solution to the problem of fragile skylights and roofs, keeping workers safe without slowing work down.
For more information on the Board-Walk system, call Easi-Dec Access Systems on 01767 691812 or email [email protected]