HEALTH & SAFETY
HOW THE MIGHTY ARE (NEARLY) FALLING
Lucy Robinson from FM and M&E specialist, Curve, discusses health and safety, specifically around working from height and how near miss reporting can act as a preventative measure in managing buildings safely.
On the 1st October 2013, the laws within the workplace changed when the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act came into force. It used to be the case that, if an employer breached a health and safety law – such as The Working at Height Regulations 2007, or the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (which applies to ladders) – and this caused an injury to someone at work, then a civil claim for compensation could be founded on the breach of those regulations.
This often included strict liability being imposed on the employer. This protection for workers has been removed, and all personal injury claimants now have to prove that the employer was negligent. For an injured worker to prove negligence, an employer must have breached their duty of care to the worker. However, the standard of care that the courts will expect to protect a worker from a fall from height is likely to be high, because of the significant risk of serious injury, so these regulations should still cover falls from height.
A huge amount of serious injuries occur by falling through fragile surfaces rather than areas in high locations. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) take these
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occurrences very seriously. Falls involving ladders account for about a quarter of all falls. If a ladder is to be used in the workplace, for any reason, then a risk assessment and training are needed. Ladders with dirty and slippery treads, or defective feet or locking mechanisms can also be the cause of falls.
The latest Curve health and safety initiative is to focus our staff and personnel on ‘near miss’ reporting. This type of ‘lessons learned’, preventative approach is fast becoming an important and measurable part of many companies’ health and safety procedures. Recording a near miss from, for example, improper use of a ladder, can provide all staff with valuable information which could in the long run prevent them from having the previously mentioned fall from height. Near miss reporting is a tactical process which can help to prevent serious injury when carrying out vital jobs within a building.
It is the policy of any company to identify and investigate unplanned losses (accidents), their source and their underlying causes. To enable this objective to be achieved, it is imperative that all accidents, irrespective of the resulting injury or damage, be reported according to
the laid down procedures. In order to avoid misunderstanding, the company deems an accident and near miss to be defined as:
Accident – any unplanned event that results in personal injury or damage to property, plant or equipment.
Near miss – an unplanned event which does not cause injury or damage, but could have done so.
A simple, and potentially anonymous system, for reporting near miss incidents is a very important way of identifying problem areas. This enables companies to highlight some of the less obvious hazards in a workplace, or identify areas where a problem is developing.
Some models suggest that for every accident there are approximately 90 near misses. It can be very difficult to get staff to report near misses or minor slip accidents, as they are often seen as funny or embarrassing occurrences (until someone is hurt). However, we believe it is important to create a culture which encourages reporting of these accidents.
www.mbrss-curve.co.uk
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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