April 2018

Working at Height
somehow less risky, which leads to safety being
ignored.
We therefore need to better communicate to
clients, principal designers, contractors and
workers that to comply with regulations and
reduce accidents you must first plan the work,
then use the right equipment, and then use
competent contractors.
If these three things are followed, then we will
see a reduction in accidents.
Simplifying the narrative for smaller businesses
that don’t have the in-house expertise would also
help them to understand the legislation.
There are also some specific measures we could
be taking to prevent falls, or falling objects from
height which are not currently required by law.
A working at height training programme, which is
accredited to the operative and renewed on an
ongoing basis, is one place to start.
This could build upon the working at height
section of the CITB Health, Safety and
Environment Test, while training should be
required for working with specific equipment such
as mobile towers.
The client and building owners also need a better
understanding of the dangers and their legal
responsibility when selecting suitable contractors.
Designing-in safety such as higher parapets
would also make the building more maintenancefriendly,
and the use of drones or high-definition
aerial photography could help at the inspection
and survey stage.
Digital technologies will increasingly have a role
to play. For example, specialists can offer
photographic surveys and reports that calculate
roof length, pitch, and additional features on both
“A critical issue is the
lack of control of who
carries out the works at
height”
“There is also a
common assumption
that a task which only
takes a minute to
complete is somehow
less risky”
residential and commercial properties without the
need to access the roof.
Then there are Virtual Reality headsets that might
give trainees a better understanding of the
hazards they will face early on.
As smart glasses technology evolves, an
operative on a roof could share something that
they see or are worried about and transmit this
directly to an experienced safety manager who is
not on site. This will allow them to advise the
operatives on how to proceed and update any
amendments to risk assessment immediately.
Q: How can we broadcast the fact that we
adhere to health and safety legislation when it
comes to falls from height?
A: A contractor must be able to show that they
have the skills, knowledge, experience and for
organisations, it’s the capability to carry out the
work safely and without risk to health.
Similarly, when a contractor employs or appoints
an individual to carry out work, they must make
sure the individual has the skills, knowledge,
experience and training to carry out the work in a
way that secures health and safety, or is in the
process of obtaining them.
The required level of skills, knowledge and
experience (and training where required) should
be proportionate to the complexity of the work and
the range and nature of the risks involved.
NFRC, in conjunction with the CITB, is beginning
the process of launching an accredited roofing
scheme which will place safe working practices
at its core by ensuring an accredited workforce
have the necessary skills to carry out work at
height.
Schemes such as the forthcoming accredited
roofer scheme will certainly help clients make
informed decisions when choosing a contractor,
much in the same way that most homeowners
will get Gas Safe-accredited plumbers to install
and service their boilers.
Contact the NFRC
020 7638 7663
www.nfrc.co.uk
@TheNFRC
16 TC APRIL 2018