Dangers of working from height in the UK

People in Essex who work high above the ground understand the dangers the work involves. While there have been several safety advancements in the past 40 years, a fair number of people are still seriously injured or killed due to falling at work.

The Work at Height Regulations control the types of safety measures that should be in place. While ladders are not specifically banned, their use is discouraged unless safer alternatives are not available for working at height. Ladders and falls from them account for the primary cause of injuries to workers working at height in the country. The ladder classifications are currently being revised in accordance with the European Commission’s standards.

One advancement that has saved many lives and prevented numerous injuries is the use of safety netting at construction sites. The netting is designed to stop falling objects. There is no data on how many people have been injured by falling into the netting itself, but the use of safety netting has become common in construction sites across the United Kingdom.

Although safety improvements have led to a decrease in the number of serious injuries and deaths due to falls from height, many people are still injured or killed every year. Workers who work at height should always exercise caution when doing so. Those who have been injured due to a fall from height may be eligible to file a workplace accident claim. In many cases, they may want to have the assistance of a solicitor who has experience in workers’ compensation matters and who can often describe the types of benefits to which the injured worker may be entitled to receive.