There have been a couple of court cases this week involving the risks of working at height. The Health and Safety Executive take working at height risks very seriously and they will prosecute anyone found to be putting lives at risk. This type of work is the cause of most of the deaths found in the construction industry; it’s not to be ignored. You can face large fines, a ruined reputation and loss of work and that’s even before anyone has been hurt.
On the SSSTS – Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme it’s possible to learn skills that can prevent Prohibition Notices and prosecution from the HSE. One of the companies fined this week were discovered to be breaching the law after a concerned member of the public got in touch with the HSE to discuss the work they were observing on a roof in Cannock. The work was not planned properly, there were no fall-prevention measures being used and the company had not conducted a risk assessment. As a result all of the workers were being put at risk. Despite no one being harmed in an accident the company, Frastrac Profiles, were fined £5,000 and must pay £3,761 in court costs.
Avoid Breaches of the Law
If you are a business owner it’s essential that your supervisors are given appropriate training in health and safety. There are several courses to choose from, one of which is the SSSTS. The training scheme covers a number of topics including:
- The legal system relating to health and safety in the construction industry
- Health and Safety Acts, Approved Codes of Practice
- Risk Assessments
- Working at Heights
- Demolition
- Occupational health
- Fire
- Working in confined spaces
By the end of the training course your supervisor will be able to conduct risk assessments for all sorts of different projects, including working at heights. They will be able to identify the risks and understand why method statements are essential when discussing working methods and precautions that have been created as a result of the risk assessments. Thanks to their understanding of the law they will be able to supervise for you and help prevent any breaches in Regulations in place to protect workers and the public from harm as a result of unsafe work.