Believe it or not, the current economic crisis has actually caused an increase in the number of accidents in the workplace.
According to a report by the National Audit Office, the increase is due to staff shortages and increased workloads. With businesses so reluctant to hire new people and continuing to lay off employees, the remaining people are expected to work harder and complete additional tasks each day.
This also holds true for work at height companies. And this can present dangerous situations if laborers aren’t mindful. Workers expected to do the jobs of several people might find themselves pressed to complete their daily workload. In a traditional office environment, the types of accidents could range from slipping and falling to mashing a finger in a copy machine.
Injuries involving those who work at heights are generally much more severe however. These types of injuries can often be life threatening, leaving the victim in serious condition. It is therefore essential that foremen of crews working on rooftops and other raised surfaces be aware of these dangers and alert to the impact of completing a project with fewer laborers.
Here are a few tips to raise awareness of this hazard:
- Encourage workers to stay focused on the job at hand.
- Implement regular weekly meetings to discuss any problems workers might be dealing with.
- Encourage foremen and supervisors to keep abreast of how their workers are doing throughout the day.
- If possible, have supervisors directly involved with the daily workload.
- Try to get workers involved in recreational activities outside the work environment as a means of relieving stress.