Falls from height are the biggest single cause of death in the workplace and one of the biggest causes of serious injury: in 2013/14, there were 19 fatalities and 2895 serious injuries. There have been improvements in workplace safety over the last decade and last year's figures compare favourably with the 53 deaths and 3804 serious injuries, recorded in 2003/04. However, we must all work harder to minimise the hazards of working at height and reduce the number of casualties, says Gordon Baird of Terex Material Handling, who examines the hazards of working at height and the measures which should be employed to minimise risks. A duty of care for employers Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers have a duty of care to employees, contractors and third parties. Those in control of any personnel working at height must make sure the work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent operators: training and suitable equipment should also be provided. The regulations state that work at height should be avoided where it is reasonably practicable to do so, but where it cannot be easily avoided, measures should be taken to prevent falls by using an existing safe place of work or by employing suitable safety equipment. They also state that the distance and consequence of a potential fall should be minimised where the risk cannot be eliminated. Failure to comply with the Work at Height Regulations can be severe with penalties of unlimited fines and prison sentences.
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