Working at height safely on construction sites

Posted 4 February 2019


With an increase in larger commercial construction schemes and infrastructure projects, working at height remains a major cause for concern and consideration on UK construction sites.

Already this year The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health have reported on the outcome of two very serious breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act that have resulted in substantial financial fines following prosecution by the courts.

An employee from Formation Construction sadly lost his life following the fatal head injuries he sustained from falling down an open stairwell and an employee from Doosan Babcock fell through a skylight that had not been protected, both cases could have been avoided if they had of been supported by competent members of staff while undertaking the task of working at height.

Both incidents highlight the importance of construction health and safety and the role of the Principal Designer. If you have been contracted to undertake a large construction project, we have a specialist team of safety consultants working nationwide. We also offer e-learning programmes to support your construction workforce that include training courses such as the RoSPA approved Working at Height and Manual Handling training.

APS National Conference 2019

APS have just announced that this year’s Association for Project Safety National Conference will be held on 4th September at Sheffield Hallam University.

Delivering leadership in CDM – a blueprint for 2020 is at the heart of the programme with the opportunity for delegates to discuss the sector post-Brexit, be part of interactive Q&A sessions and hear the latest HSE review.

Join our health and safety consultants at this year’s APS National Conference to hear speakers from HSE, central government and industry where they will be covering a wide range of hot topics. Tickets are available now!

Building a Safer Future

Following the devastation of the Grenfell fire in 2017, where a fire broke out in a 24-storey block of flats in West London taking 72 lives, the Government launched a major inquiry to establish the facts and be able to act to prevent further tragedies.

In May 2018, the Grenfell Report was issued by Dame Judith Hackett. The government adopted and accepted all recommendations within the Building a Safer Future issued in December 2018. The final report detailed an independent review of building regulations and fire safety, recommending a new framework to enhance responsibility and accountability.

The new framework has been designed to:

  • Drive construction safety in the UK
  • Create a regulatory body that oversees dutyholders’ management of buildings
  • Reassert roles and responsibilities of residents

With greater emphasis being placed on the dutyholders’ responsibilities we are providing more Principal Designer services nationwide. Along with expert CDM advice, we offer our clients project specific support to help them fulfil their CDM duties at all stages of their development.

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