Of all the activities that occur in the workplace, working at height is perhaps the most dangerous, and this is because injury resulting of height safety mistakes is frequently serious or even fatal. Therefore, at the forefront of your on-site safety strategy needs to be a rigorous height safety procedure.
Whilst a complete height safety strategy needs to be complex, there are some simple things that should be taken into consideration, which will considerably decrease the hazard when working at heights.
For example, you should only sanction working at height if necessary, as otherwise you create unnecessary risk to your employees. Often, jobs can be completed without the need to work at heights, and with a creative approach there are sometimes alternatives.
Of course, sometimes working at a height is unavoidable, so it is imperative that you ensure that every aspect of your roof safety strategy is watertight.
Most often, your safety equipment will “bear the load” of your employees when they are working at heights and therefore it is imperative that all equipment is tested annually, otherwise not only do you risk the health of your employees, but you will also be liable for prosecution.
As well as using equipment that has been thoroughly tested, it is important that your employees are trained in all aspects of height safety. For instance, should the worst happen and an accident occur, the few minutes immediately after a fall can be critical and mean the difference between injury and fatality. With this in mind, it is important that your employees know what to do in the event of an emergency.