May 2024

Health & Safety
CREATING A CULTURE OF SAFETY
Given recent news regarding the messaging around building mobile access towers by
mixing and matching tower components from different manufacturers, which should be
avoided, it is important that all employers and employees are on the same page when it
comes to preventing accidents. Here, Dave Elson, Compliance Manager at WernerCo UK,
discusses how employers can ensure they cultivate a culture of safety.
Tradespeople will know that working at
height comes as part of the job. However,
given the associated risks, it is important
that employers take their responsibilities
seriously when it comes to employee safety.
Therefore work should be – according to Working
at Height Regulations – adequately planned,
supervised and carried out by competent
workers.
Regulations also dictate that the right type of
equipment for the job should always be used.
Failure to comply with regulations can not only
result in civil litigation and prosecution, but most
significantly, this can cause serious harm to
employees.
Considering this, employers should ensure they
are nurturing a culture of safety within their
organisations.
Provide regular and engaging training
Regulations state that employees must report
hazards and use their equipment responsibly.
However, in order to ensure all employees have
an adequate understanding of what is expected of
them, regular and engaging health and safety and
equipment handling sessions should be provided
by the employer.
Not only does continued and quality training
enable employees to develop their safety
knowledge, but it also empowers them to report
risks and propose ways to manage those risks,
resulting in a safer site environment.
Encourage planning and organisation
Many of the requirements written into the
Working at Height Regulations reflect the
importance of preparation on site. Considering
this, it is important for employers to educate and
empower employees and provide the correct tools
for the job.
Therefore, they should encourage employees to
consider general site safety, weather conditions,
the likelihood of falling objects and the site layout
for emergency contingency plans before beginning
work.
Organisation and preparation are the key to
reducing the risk of accidents and in understanding
how to act should an incident occur.
Providing the correct equipment
It is essential that employers provide the correct
equipment for their employees to use. For
example, when it comes to ladders, within EN131
there are two classifications – Professional and
Non-Professional. To ensure the highest quality
for the intended use, employers should always
provide employees with Professional ladders that
meet EN131 standards.
All EN131-certified ladders feature markings that
indicate their suitability for commercial use.
Ladders intended for work on private dwellings, in
other words, ladders certified for ‘Non-
Professional Use’, should not be provided to
employees.
Insist on regular inspections
While the correct equipment may have been
provided, caution is still required as ladders can
become damaged. Therefore, checks should be
carried out by a competent person each time a
ladder or piece of access equipment is used.
It is also essential that employees are
encouraged to keep a record of all inspections for
reporting.
In addition, ladders and access platforms should
be assembled according to the manufacturer’s
guidance. As mentioned, for example, it is vital
that components across different manufacturers
aren’t used to assemble tower structures.
Once inspections are complete, it is
recommended that a competent person with the
appropriate level of knowledge, training and
experience checks the tower structure or ladder’s
assembly.
Employers looking to build a strong culture
around safety can look to a wide range of
resources available that can support them in
creating this, including the information laid out as
part of WernerCo’s Stepping up to Safety
initiative. This includes a variety of practical
guides and the latest information on safety
standards. Visit:
www.wernerco.com/uk/ladder-safety
Contact WernerCo UK
www.wernerco.co.uk
48 TC MAY 2024