According to Norwich Union businesses are still flouting the law and causing accidents – even in trades not considered “high risk” – a year on from the Working at Height Regulations.
According to Norwich Union businesses are still flouting the law and causing accidents – even in trades not considered “high risk” – a year on from the Working at Height Regulations.
The UK’s largest insurer has found that serious falls at work are not confined to the high risk trades such as roofing and scaffolding, but frequently involve people working in decorating, building and farming.
Phil Grace, Norwich Union’s casualty risk manager, says: “Our own files reveal the human cost of falls, and often from unlikely places.
“Painters and decorators fall from ladders more often than people would imagine, and the resulting broken ankles and wrists can put workers out of action permanently. We have also seen falls from simple equipment such as ladders result in brain damage.
“In the building trade falls from scaffold do happen, but also more unusual accidents, such as the builder – now paraplegic - who was working in windy conditions and was literally blown off the platform while handling plywood sheets.
“And on farms, it has become common for people to be lifted up using pallets or potato boxes balanced on fork lift trucks, which is clearly unsuitable. One employee was cutting trees while being raised up in a skip and his fall rendered him tetraplegic.”
The Working at Height regulations make managers responsible for controlling the risks of working at height, by assessing risk, avoiding work at height where possible, taking measures to prevent falls from ladders, scaffolding, and access platforms including proper maintenance of access equipment such as cradle and hydraulic lift systems.
In addition, the law removed the old ‘two-metre’ limit, therefore redefining working at height to include any activity carried out above ground level.
Now the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is actively pursuing those who breach the regulations, issuing numerous prohibition and improvement notices to businesses.
The HSE’s investigations show poor practices prevalent in industries such as manufacturing of paints, plastics and chemicals; wholesalers of china, glass, chemicals and pharmaceuticals and freight transport operators. Risky activities have included the use of unguarded loading bays, mezzanine floors without fenced edges plus people working on top of storage tanks and road tankers.
For more information about working at height visit:
http://www.nurs.co.uk/riskadvice/search-w.htm
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For further information, please contact:
Jon Clements at Staniforth on 0161 274 0100/ 07989 414486 or Sally Leeman at Norwich Union on 01603 684225/ 07800 699670.
Notes to editors
About Norwich Union Insurance
- Norwich Union is the UK's largest insurer with a market share of around 14 per cent
- With a focus on insurance for individuals and small businesses, Norwich Union insures:
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- One in five households
- One in seven motor vehicles
- Around 800,000 businesses
- Norwich Union products are available through a variety of distribution channels including brokers, corporate partners such as banks and building societies and Norwich Union Direct.
- Aviva, Norwich Union’s parent company, announced its acquisition of the RAC in 2005. The acquisition brings together the RAC's powerful brand and customer base with the expertise and leading position in motor insurance of Norwich Union Insurance#
- Norwich Union's news releases and a selection of images are available on the Aviva internet press centre at www.aviva.com/media.
- An ISDN facility is available for studio quality broadcast. Call the press office on 01603 682264