HSE Urges Employers to Exchange their Defective Ladders
HSE has rolled out its Ladder Exchange scheme to get rid of damaged ladders from work premises. The scheme will continue till December 31.
This scheme that allows employers to trade their old, broken ladders for new and safe ones has been quite a success. The scheme also allows for thorough examination of existing ladders and provides businesses with new ladders at a discounted price.
Employers across
It is heartening to note that workplace falls are a much less occurrence now than they used to be earlier. However, deaths and injuries from such falls are still quite rampant. Fall from heights have killed 35 employees and injured more than 4,000 workers during 2008/09. These falls were mainly the result of using faulty equipment at workplace (particularly defective ladders).
Safety while using ladders is of paramount importance, considering the fact that more than two million British workers work daily at heights by climbing ladders.
According to the Work at Height Regulations 2005, the responsibility for managing workplace falls rests with the duty holders. They should first find out ways to prevent workers from working at heights. If this is not possible, then they should try their best to prevent falls from heights. If that too is not possible, then they should search for ways to minimise the effects of the fall, like reducing the distance of the worker from the floor, cushioning the fall by various methods, etc.
The Regulations also urge the employers to inspect ladders at periodic intervals so that serious accidents can be prevented. An IOSH Managing Safely course will provide you with the knowledge to manage safely and effectively in compliance with both workplace policy and best practice in health and safety, and help you to identify and implement appropriate workplace precautions for specific risks or seek advice on workplace precautions - click on IOSH Managing for more information.
