January 7, 2004—The UK’s Health and Safety Commission (HSC) is seeking views from industry, unions, and workers on draft work at height regulations and guidance during a four-month formal consultation period from December 2003. Each year 50 to 60 workers are killed as a result of a fall from height and around 4,000 workers suffer serious injuries, representing the biggest cause of death and the second biggest cause of serious injury at work, says HSC.
The draft regulations adopt a risk-based approach to working at height and propose that the following three key steps be considered before carrying out work at height:
- If you can avoid the need to work at height then do so—with a little planning many activities can be conducted safely from the ground;
- Where you can’t avoid working at height then you must take steps to prevent falls by either working from a safe place of work at height, or if this is not available, by selecting the most suitable equipment for working at height. You should take into consideration the risks and factors such as the duration of the work and the environment in which the equipment is to be used; and
- If there is any remaining risk of a fall you should take steps to mitigate the effect, for example by using fall arrest equipment.
These regulations are also intended to implement the European Community Temporary Work at Height Directive (2001/45/EC), which is the second amendment to EC Directive 1989/655/EEC on the provision and use of work equipment.
The proposed new regulations and guidance concerning work at height are set out in a consultation document, CD192, which is available online from HSE, or from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA, tel: 01787-881165 or fax: 01787-313995.
