Overlooking Safety when Working at Height – Duralift

Will overlooking your safety while working at height cost you a life?

Every time a construction worker is on a job site they will face health and safety risks. Most of the time safety rules and regulations are followed and respected, but there are still many out there who overlook the importance of these precautions put in place and put their own safety and the safety of those around them at risk. Like this:

The costs of these risks are huge, both physically and financially, and with current legislation in place to protect people there should be no excuse for poor work practices. Unfortunately most accidents and injuries could be avoided by the use of appropriate work equipment or inappropriate risk of the correct equipment.

Reducing this over-reliance on ladders and unofficial height access equipment (an office chair, the desk, even an upturned box) is a key way for employees and employers to reduce the risk, lost working days, and musculoskeletal issues, caused by poor manual handling and working at height practices.

Ensuring people have good, effective equipment to complete their work in the safest, most efficient manner possible is key to organisations who take their responsibilities seriously. For this reason Duralift has recently added QR codes to every scissor lift and boom lift we hire out which encourages the operator to scan before use and will warn the operator of all the risks often overlooked when using the equipment through a graphic video demonstration.

Creating a positive health and safety culture needs to involve employees form all levels of the business. Encouraging employees to act responsibility when working at height will make a big difference on the business, such as:

By ensuring good practice and a positive culture of health and safety the risk of reputational or financial damage is reduced which promotes good employee relations

Employers can improve safety and employee welfare by hiring access equipment. Helping reduce the impact of employee ill-health, wellbeing issues and improving absence rates from falls

Costs could be massively reduced for employers, especially those working at height. Avoiding the costs associated with work-related injuries; illness; increased insurance premiums; absences; sick pay; overtime; loss of contracts; and legal bills makes hiring access equipment seem cheap!

Don’t risk your safety next time you are working at heights.