Scaling new heights

摘要

IN MARCH, the Court of Appeal upheld a 260,000 pounds fine and costs I of 80,000 pounds imposed on the employer of a 22-year-old construction worker who fell 10 metres to his death after leaning on an unsecured handrail (see HSW May, page 12). That month the HSE completed an inspection blitz on refurbishment sites which focused on preventing falls, and on good order; inspectors visited 1100 sites across the country and served 400 enforcement orders (see HSW April, page 2). It seems the gloves are off when it comes to a category of accident that caused 23 deaths and almost 1000 major injuries in construction alone in 2006-07. This message will be made clear at an Access Live demonstration at Safety & Health Expo that will focus on the challenges of working at height and how to cope with them. Using professional actors and taking the HSE's current Shattered Lives campaign as its theme, the presentation will act out various scenarios designed to reinforce the central message of the campaign: Don't chance it ... change it! Using mobile elevating work platforms, scaffolding, mobile access towers and ladders, the Access Industry Forum will demonstrate in an entertaining way the dos and don'ts of working at height.