Safety Secrets: How To Work At Height Safely

Safety Secrets: How To Work At Height Safely
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Safety Secrets: How To Work At Height Safely teaser

17 Oct 2017

If you don’t plan and have the right equipment, working at heights can be a risky business. At Backsafe Australia, we take our middle name seriously. Most injuries arise from not planning. Falls from heights continue to be the biggest cause of death and injury within the construction industry. This also follows with many other industries that involve working at heights. If you need work done at height, you need to have the right kit, such as good quality Platform ladders - something we specialise in.

If you or your employers are going to be doing jobs at height, look at these tips on getting the job done safely, quickly and effectively.  Not because you want to avoid a compensation claim but because you care about the people that work for you. We want to share with you the secret to keeping your workers safe when a job takes them higher than they can reach.
  1. Plan
This is number one for a reason. Prevention is better than cure. Thinking ahead will prevent accidents before they happen. Plan the equipment needed beforehand. What type of elevation tools does the job need to ensure maximum safety and efficiency? For instance, considering whether to use platform ladders or ordinary ladders.

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Above: Fibreglass Wide Platform Ladder
 
  1. Equipment
It’s vital you have the right equipment for the job. If the job requires various smaller pieces of equipment you would make use of platform ladders rather than normal ladders. Sturgo Platform ladders & accessories have somewhere for tools, paint and instruments to be placed whilst working safely at heights. This means your employee isn’t tempted to scale up the steps one handed trying to balance multiple items unsafely. Which is not advisable (unless they’re training for a TV talent show).
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  1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Makes sure all safety and personal protective gear is available. Importantly, check that the equipment is functioning and no bits are falling off. It must be fit for purpose. In fact, one step better than this is to train your staff on how to check equipment and know how to wear everything they need correctly.
  1. Lead by example
By demonstrating the right attitude to work safely within your business, you harness a culture of diligence from your staff. This will reduce the chance of injury as it becomes customary for your workers to take safety seriously.
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  1. Training
Make sure your staff know how to use equipment safely. Safety resources and understanding are powerful and can be the difference between a happy, safe workplace or a very unpleasant dangerous one.
  1. Be prepared
Prevention is better than cure, but sometimes no matter what you do accidents can still happen. Make sure you have a contingency plan should the worst happen. Have you got first aid equipment? Do you have a protocol in place should someone fall?

The secret to working safely at heights is down to good planning and equipment. Taking care of these two elements will ensure that workers can not only do the job safely but also effectively and efficiently. Backsafe Australia specialises in safety equipment for jobs that need doing at height. Contact us today for your next safety solution. 

 

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