Falls from height……yet again!

Although in most cases simple measures can be taken to reduce the risk of or prevent falls from height, businesses are still not waking up to the fact that they should be protecting their workforce and taking action in line with regulatory and best practice requirements.
Yet another business, this time one specialising in fitting mezzanine floors, have recently been prosecuted after a contractor stepped backwards and fell over 3.5 meters onto a concrete floor sustaining a severe brain injury.
The mezzanine he was installing was designed to include a hole where a lift was due to be installed.
Although the hole was part of the design, there had been no consideration or application of a guarding system or cover placed over the hole during the installation process.
Simple basic safety measures would have prevented this contractor falling, sustaining life changing injuries, although the fall could quite easily have resulted in his death.
The simple answer to reducing falls from height is to assess all aspects of tasks to be performed before the commencement work and identify where risks are present, then put suitable controls measures in place, and review them throughout the period of the works.