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Home | Services | Services for you | Personal Injury | Accidents / injury at work | Accidents at work factsheets | Falls at work
Falls at work
20 October 2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that falls continue to be the biggest cause of fatal injury in Britain’s workplaces.
Working at height is classed as work in any place including a place at above or below ground level where a person could be injured if they fell from that place, including:
- working on a flat roof
- working from a ladder, scaffolding, tower etc
- working from vehicles, such as tail-lifts on lorries
- working at ground level next to an open excavation
- working near or adjacent to fragile materials
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 cover falls from all types of work equipment.
These Regulations apply equally to the employed and self-employed, and cover not only the more obvious falls from ladders and scaffolds, but also falls from vehicles even at low height. The HSE reports that approximately 2,000 workers are seriously injured as a result of falling from a vehicle at work.
The Regulations state that:
- working at height should be avoided altogether if possible
- if this is not possible, it is preferable to work from an existing safe place of work, for example a flat roof or mezzanine floor
- if this is not possible, work equipment to prevent falls such as working platforms with guard rails should be installed and/or personal protective equipment such as harnesses or nets should be provided.
- only those people who are competent at working at height should be involved in such work and all work must be properly planned and organised
If you have been injured in a fall at work, even if you think you were to blame or one of your colleagues was to blame, you may still have a claim for compensation.
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