A high school in Southport, Merseyside received a hefty fine last month after a worker fell off a roof and sustained multiple fractures.

The incident in question occurred in 2018. According to shponline.co.uk, the man was getting some footballs down from the roof of the school's sixth form centre when he lost his footing and fell more than 3 metres before hitting the ground.

A HSE investigation found that there were no fall protection measures in place to prevent an incident like this. An edge protection system or anchor point could have kept the worker from falling off the roof, but no such precautions had been taken, and so the governing body of Christ the King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,851.50.

Falls from height are among the most common causes of injury and death in the workplace. Employers must ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place before allowing staff to work at height.

Height Safety Equipment   Fall Protection Systems

Photo from Pixabay

Despite these uncertain times, the team here at SafetyLiftinGear have been working extremely hard behind the scenes and are proud to announce that we now supply a range of Kratos Safety fall protection to help keep you safe when working at height! 

Based in France, Kratos Safety utilise a range of certified laboratories, designers and technicians to not only ensure that their range of safety equipment meets European safety standards but exceeds expectations when it comes to comfort, innovation and quality. Offering products from a variety of categories such as harnesses & belts, fall arresters, tool lanyards and rope access, Kratos is experienced in creating effective equipment that ensures your safety.

Here is a selection of the Kratos equipment available to buy from SLG today: 

Kratos 2-point Full Body Harness

Product Features: 

- Full body harness with 1 dorsal D-Ring and 1 sternal D-Ring on the sternal strap

- Adjustable shoulder & thigh straps

- Ideally positioned sit strap for extended comfort 

- Max User Weight: 140kg

- Conformity: EN361:2002

View Product >

Kratos Twin Retractable Webbing Fall Arrest Block

Product Features: 

- Retractable fall arrester with double aluminium casing and 2 webbing lanyards (2m)

- Includes 2x scaffold hooks at the anchorage end

- Webbing: 25mm

- Max Weight: 100kg

- Conforms to EN360:2002

View Product >

Kratos 300kg Load Arrestor

Product Features: 

- Load Arrestor with galvanised steel wire rope designed to stop the fall of a 300kg weight load

- Casing made of high impact strength polymer to prevent breakage

- Length: 10mtr

- Conforms to 2006/42/CE

View Product >

You can find our full range of Kratos Safety equipment right here.

For more information on our collection of Kratos Safety fall protection, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the SLG team today, we'd love to hear from you! 

Contact Us >

Different types of work require different safety measures. Therefore, it is vital that when working at height, you are properly equipped to complete the specific task-at-hand. However, with so many different working environments, operations and equipment, it can be a challenge to know exactly what type of equipment is needed for what task. Here, we break down the features of working at height, what is required when doing so and the several different working conditions, providing the necessary equipment needed to carry out work in the safest possible way.

Working at Height

Managing work at height follows a hierarchy of controls – avoid, prevent, restrain, arrest, which begins with the question “can the work be done safely from the ground?” Fall arrest equipment should only be considered as a last resort if other safety equipment cannot be used. For situations where work cannot be completed from the ground collective protection equipment such as nets and railings must be considered first.

A common solution is utilising scaffolding or mobile platform (MEWP) that provide easy and safe access at height. If none of the above methods can be implemented, individual fall protection equipment safeguarding from falls must be used. i.e. restraint equipment.

The basic features of individual fall protection equipment protecting against a fall from height are:

RESTRAINT:

1. Using fixed length equipment to position the user ensuring it isn't possible to reach a position from which he/she may fall from a height.

FALL ARREST:

2. If a fall occurs, the equipment must minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.

Components of Fall Protection Equipment

All fall protection systems must comprise three basic components:

• An anchor point – Anchor points are the first and most important element of an individual fall protection system. They connect to the workplace and work to fasten the connecting safeguarding component to a support structure. Anchor points may be permanent such as horizontal safety line systems with a steel rope or mobile such as safety tripods. All anchor points must conform to the requirements of EN795:2012 and be installed and tested in accordance with BS7883.

• Energy-absorbing components – This part of the fall protection system connects the safety harness to the anchor point. In the case of a fall, the energy-absorbing component must arrest the fall and absorb the energy generated. The component absorbs kinetic energy and limits the impact force to 6kN or less, which reduces the risk of further injury by suddenly stopping the fall. Typical equipment used with this function are energy-absorbing lanyards or a fall arrest blocks.

• Full body harness – The main purpose of a full-body harness is to keep an individual’s body supported while falling and ensure secure distribution of dynamic forces produced while arresting the fall.

Types of Work

As mentioned, different work conditions consist of different height safety requirements and procedures as a result of the environment they occur in and the dangers involved. Here we take a look and break down the safety requirements for working on a roof, fragile surfaces, ladders and scaffolds and the correct equipment that is needed to carry out work safely.

Roof Work

All work on roofs is highly dangerous, even a job that can take only minutes to complete consist of potentially fatal risks. Therefore, proper precautions are needed to control all the risks that are involved. The individuals managing and conducting the work need to be properly trained, competent and must fully plan the work to be completed in relation to the main risks, causes of accidents and equipment required.

Falls from roofs, either through fragile surfaces and openings or from roof edges can occur on both commercial and domestic projects as well as new build and refurbishment jobs. Many deaths happen every year involving smaller buildings working on the roof of domestic dwellings, which tend to fall under two types:

• Slopings roofs – These roofs require scaffolding to prevent workers and materials from falling from the edge. You must also fit edge protection to the eaves of any roof and on terraced properties to the rear as well as the front. Where work is of short duration, properly secured ladders to access the roof, such as roof ladders, may be used.

• Flat roofs – Falls from flat roof edges can be prevented by simple edge protection arrangments – a secure double guardrail and toeboard around the edge.

Work on a fragile surface roof requires a combination of stagings, guard rails, fall arrest and safety nets slung beneath and close to the roof. All roofs should be treated as fragile until they have been confirmed as not. Fragile rooflights are also a hazard as some may be difficult to spot in certain light conditions or maybe hidden by paint. These areas must be protected by using either barriers or covers that are secured and labelled with a warning. Here at SLG, we provide a number of products that ensure when working on sloping and flat roofs, you are completely protected against falls. You can view our best products for working on flat roofs below.

Fall Arrest Harness >      Fall Arrest Block >

Ladders

Every time a ladder is used to carry out work at height, a pre-use check needs to be conducted to ensure that it is safe for use. This should be carried out by:

• The user
• Before using the ladder
• After the ladder has been dropped or moved from a dirty area to a clean area (conditions of feet need to be looked over)

The benefit of carrying out pre-use checks is to identify any immediate or serious defects that can cause an accident. The areas of most concern are the ladder’s stiles, feet and rungs. Once this has been completed and you are satisfied that the ladder is in good working condition, you must then ensure that all of the required safety precautions to carry out work whilst on the ladder are in place, including wearing the right equipment. At SafetyLiftinGear, we provide a range of secure ladder safety equipment that ensures your safety whilst working at height, including quality fall protection kits.

Ladder Safety Kit Level 1 >           Ladder Safety Kit Level 2 >

Scaffolds

Tower scaffolds are one method used to prevent a fall when working at height on a sloped roof. The type of scaffold selected needs to be suitable for the work and erected and dismantled by people who have been trained and are competent to do so. However, despite scaffolds existing to prevent a fall, dangers still exist once the scaffold has been set up, with many people injured each year as a result of falling from them. Incidents with scaffolds often occur as a result of dangerous methods of erection or dismantling, defects in the erected scaffold or the scaffold being misused. To ensure maximum safety whilst working on a scaffold, it is recommended that all workers wear appropriate protective equipment, such as specialist scaffold harnesses. You can view ours below!

Scaffold Harness Kit >

Mobile Elevated Working Platforms (MEWPS)

When using mobile elevated work platforms such as cherry pickers and access platforms, there are a number of safety precautions that need to be implemented in order to avoid and prevent falls from occurring. Such as:

• Wearing a suitable harness
• Only using the platform on level, firm ground
• Working with a trained operator at ground level
• Only using equipment with outriggers and stabilisers
• Keeping the platform within safe working limits and radius, taking account of wind speeds, beams, hanging obstructions and power cables

If all of these things are adhered to, then the likelihood of a fall or serious consequences as a result of a fall occurring is dramatically decreased. You can find our best-selling access platform harness below!

Safety Harness Kit For Access Platform >

In order to avoid potentially fatal falls when working at height, it’s vitally important that you understand the specific requirements of every task you carry out. The working environment needs to be assessed by competent and qualified people, who can identify dangers and hazards before they cause a real accident. When the work is actually being carried out, the importance of wearing the correct equipment as well as setting up the necessary safety precautions cannot be understated. As well as the above products, we supply a whole range of height safety equipment, perfect for a variety of operations at height. You can browse our extensive collection below.

Browse Height Safety Equipment >

If you have any questions regarding our range of height safety equipment or any of the listed products, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

A roofing company boss has been sentenced to jail after one of his builders fell 30ft to his death whilst working on a £7 million home in Kensington.

The owner of G&L Scaffolding and Roofing, Kevin Leathers, 41, had “flagrantly ignored” safety warnings when father-of-five Jon Currie, 36, was not wearing a harness when he fell, leading to “catastrophic brain damage” and ultimately his death in July 2017.

The experienced scaffolder lost his footing while taking down a temporary roof of corrugated iron panels. Leather pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and was eventually jailed for eight months, having been previously warned about his employees working in dangerous conditions.

Prosecutors stated that Leathers had been sent a letter reminding him of strict health and safety requirements and that his working practices were “unsafe” when his crew were spotted working without safety harnesses. When Mr Currie fell, he and another worker were again not wearing safety harnesses and no risk assessment had been carried out to identify potential dangers. Curries was also not qualified for the job that he was doing that day. Prosecutor stated that Leathers “failed to exercise his duty of care and as a result, Jon Currie died while working for him. Leathers intentionally breached or flagrantly ignored the law.”

Passing sentence, Judge Joanna QC said “after the letter in April, Leather could not have been warned in clearer terms about the dangers of the activities undertaken. He failed to take appropriate steps. If death results from such failures you must expect to receive an immediate prisons sentence.”

Leather was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence after Curries fell working on an extension to a double-storey basement.

This is another example of the extreme dangers faced when work is carried without the required equipment. Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we provide quality, effective height safety equipment including harnesses, lanyard and fall arrest blocks that assure your safety when working at all heights. You can browse our range below!

Our Height Safety Equipment >

For more information on our height safety equipment or to speak to one of our experts about any of our products, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today by calling 0117 9381 600 or emailing sales@safetyliftingear.com.

If you don't provide your employees with the equipment they need, it can pose a serious safety risk to them, and a serious legal threat to your business. AU Roofing and Building Ltd found this out the hard way after one of their employees sustained serious injuries. We've got the inside scoop on the story for you here.

Back in October 2018, a team of employees from AU Roofing and Building Ltd were working on a roof in Elmes Avenue, Kent. The team of roofers were required to carry buckets of materials by hand down the scaffold access ladder to the street level below. 

One particular employee, Davey Battams, struggled to keep 3 points of contact with the ladder as he descended down the ladder, and fell the remainder of the way onto the pavement. Battams suffered serious back injuries and was unable to continue working. 

The HSE investigated this accident and was able to determine that the employer hadn't provided the basic lifting equipment aids that should be in place for tasks such as this. A simple wheel and pulley would have given workers a safer way to lower the broken tiles while dramatically reducing the chances of an accidental fall.

In court, AU Roofing and Building Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and the court issued them a fine of £28,800!! On top of this, they were also ordered to pay legal cost amounting to £4,213.70. 

Don't make the same mistake!

At SafetyLiftinGear, we know that the right equipment could have prevented this accident from ever happening, and while we can't go back and change the past, we can advise you on how to work safely in the future. Here are just a few different pieces of equipment that AU Roofing and Building Ltd could've purchased to lessen the risk of a fall. 

Ladder Fall Protection

Our ladder fall protection kits are designed to keep you tethered to the ladder, preventing an accidental slip or fall from height. 

• Ladder Safety Fall Protection Kit Level 1
• Ladder Safety Fall Protection Kit Level 2

Powered Lifting Solutions

Designed to take the pressure completely out of your hands, our powered scaffold hoist can move cumbersome items from on top of the scaffold to ground level safely.

• Scaffold Hoist 200kg 110v 25 metres lift

Manual Lifting Solutions

These simple, manual pulley systems can take the strain of heavy items and lower them to safety, leaving your hands free to grip the ladder.

• Pulley Block with Brake and Rope
• LiftinGear Gin Wheel and Ropes

Product Lifting Solutions

When you need to lift or transport important materials you'll find the following lifting solutions safe and easy to use.

• Imer 200kg Liftable Wheelbarrow
• Plastic Circular Muck Tipping Skip 70 litre Boscaro

If you can't find a lifting solution that fits the requirements of your upcoming job, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. Our friendly sales team will talk you through various different lifting options to help you find one that's right for the task at hand. 

Both Metcalfe Roofing & Building Services Ltd and PDR Construction Ltd have been fined following an incident that saw a worker fall three metres through a mesh roof while working at height.

The incident in question took place on 21 July 2016 at a job in Coulby Newham, resulting in painful injuries to the fallen worker, notably including multiple back fractures.

A Nasty Fall

While moving materials during a routine roof installation at a new KFC Drive Thru, the worker unwittingly stepped onto a fragile mesh roof that was not fit to withstand a substantial load.

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive determined that the contractors, Metcalfe Roofing & Building Ltd, had failed to prevent access to the exposed area, ultimately resulting in the accident.

Further investigation by the HSE also discovered that Metcalfe Roofing had failed to plan and conduct the work in a safe and fitting manner.

Crucially, principle contractors, PDR Construction, were also found to have failed in their attempts to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase appropriately.

A Heavy Price

The accusation of negligence led PDR Construction to plead guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, resulting in a £225k fine with £8k costs.

Meanwhile, Metcalfe Roofing was saddled with a lesser £2k fine after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2015.

An Unnecessary Risk

The incident once again highlights the importance of on-site worker safety, particularly when it comes to those working at height.

At SafetyLiftinGear.com, we supply a wide variety of precautionary height safety equipment that would have been ideal for this kind of job.

Had such precautions been taken, it’s highly unlikely that such an incident would have occurred. Keep your workforce safe by providing them with appropriate safety equipment from SLG.

For more advice on working at height and the appropriate safety measures you can take to avoid needless falls, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or click the button below to get in touch online.

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A water storage tank manufacturing firm was recently fined thousands of pounds for failing to prevent a fall that left an employee with multiple fractures of the head, ribs, fingers and shoulder blade.

SHP Online recently reported that Braithwaite Engineers Ltd had been fined £9,400 - plus costs of £1,680.75 - after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) noted that the fall, which occurred in October 2017, might have been prevented if the company had provided suitable and clear instructions and working at height training.

HSE Inspector Will Powell stated:

"Falls from vehicles can be overlooked by employers...[but] simple measures would have prevented this accident."

Fall Protection for Lorry Beds

Working on a lorry bed can be dangerous if there's no barrier around the edges of the platform.

Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we sell lorry edge protection straps to help you minimise the risk to your employees while they're working on an elevated lorry bed.

Buy Edge Protection Straps >

These high-visibility straps are easy to attach, and they reduce the likelihood that a worker will fall off the edge of the lorry and injure him/herself.

Our RJ200 hangman frame lorry / container access anchor is also ideal for improving worker safety on raised lorry beds.

Buy or Hire Now >

This frame can be used as a semi-permanent mobile anchor point for safety harnesses when working at height. It stands roughly 6.25 metres tall and allows for a working radius of 3 metres (approximately 9.84 feet).

Please call SafetyLiftinGear on 0117 9381 600 or contact us online if you'd like to discuss your height safety requirements. We're more than happy to recommend products, and we can even provide bespoke fall protection solutions for particularly demanding or unusual jobs.