Workplace Safety at Heights an Issue

Working safely at heights has always been an issue for the construction industry. Numerous accidents happen every year on building sites and employers don’t always understand the ramifications of not enforcing safety procedures until it’s too late.

In NSW, a plumber recently fell from a ladder and impaled himself on his left side on a post. Around the same time, another worker fell from scaffolding sustaining serious head injuries.

The authorities, such as WH&S Queensland, are constantly calling on employers to ensure their employees are safe when working at heights. This requires employees being given the right equipment for the job they’re to perform and ensuring it’s used for its proper purpose. Employees should be given training, instruction, information and supervision with all aspects of their work. If an employee works from a height without fall safety equipment (particularly more than 2m elevation), the employer is in breach of WH&S legislation and can be prosecuted and fined - the fines for breaching the legislation will impact on an employer’s business.

Scaffolding must be in good working condition and tied to the building correctly. It should be erected and dismantled by accredited scaffolders. Employees should wear safety harnesses when working on roofs or at heights where there’s no other fall protection. Holes must be covered or have guards around them to prevent someone falling through with the covering strong enough to hold a person’s weight if stepped on. In SA an employer was recently convicted and fined where its managing director fell six metres from a roof. The director told an employee to move away from a hole in the roof covered by an unsupported roof sheet. The director then took a call on his mobile, became distracted and wandered around the roof when he stepped on the roof sheeting himself and fell to the floor suffering serious injuries. The court found that whilst the company had a policy banning mobile phones when working from heights, it hadn’t documented the policy or enforced it.

KEY POINTS: Safety is vital. A failure by an employer to have safe systems; train employees in them and enforce them is a breach of legislation. If an accident occurs as a result, the employer will be prosecuted, convicted and fined. Maximum fines can be up to $500,000 (corporation) and $100,000 (individual).