Thankfully the vast majority of workers don’t have to venture outside the building and up on to the roof. They can stay inside in their nice warm office and get on with their work. For contractors and employees who do have to make regular maintenance and safety checks working at height, it’s vitally important to ensure safe systems of working are in place.
When it comes to height safety lives are at stake. A mistake up there could prove fatal. The correct process and procedure must be followed to the letter at all times. Complacency kills. Good safety means making sure protection and systems are in place to minimise the risks of working up there. Guard rails and protection around the edge are essential, but this isn’t the only measure that businesses can employ to keep accidents to minimum. Although it is a strong start.
Human behaviour is a major factor in accidents at work and up on the roof is no exception. At the core of more effective roof safety is education. People who work up there must be fully briefed in the dangers so that they know how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls. Classroom sessions backed up by regular elearning updates helps to inform and then top up knowledge. Risk assessments help companies to keep on top of what is going on all around the sites that they manage. Assessments give a vital insight in the situations that workers face and the way that they interact with their working environment. Armed with this data it’s possible to remove hazards and make the roof a safer place to be.
Don’t take chances and don’t cut corners. Educate, assess and install safety systems to keep workers and contractors safe when they’re working at height. Every initiative helps reduce the likelihood of an accident.