Falls from height were the cause of most work-related fatalities in Britain during 2022/23. The most recent annual figuresrevealed that 40 workers were killed in falls from height last year. Make sure you take the necessary precautions and see ourworking at height websitefor guidance onhow you can protect employees. The site also has a range of useful information and sources of advice for employers. They include key messages to follow before working from height and somecommon work at height myths. There are alsouseful resourcesavailable, including our relevant publications which are free to download. |
The worker was operating a scissor lift from the ground to clear an access path so he could move pieces of machinery out of the workshop and load it onto his lorry in the yard. The moveable controls on the scissor lift were in a position meaning that their direction was inverted and when the machinery was operated, it came towards the worker and crushed him against a static scissor lift. HSE's investigationfound the company had failed to: sufficiently consider the dangers of operating machinery via moveable controls provide appropriate monitoring and supervision during the morning when drivers were loading machinery onto their lorries For further detailsread this press release. Our website has guidance on workplaceequipment and machinery. Other recent prosecution cases include: Farming business sentenced after a walker dies in cattle incident Offshore drilling company fined 130,000 after crane boom collapse Company fined after worker spotted on pallet raised by forklift truck HSE's safety alerts and notices keep employers and workers up to date with failures in equipment, process, procedures and substances used in the workplace. Safety alertsare for major faults that would result in a serious or fatal injury and where immediate remedial action is required. A recently published safety alert was:Lorry loaders crush risk from powered tilting stabilisers Safety noticesare usually issued to facilitate a change in procedure, or when an action is required to improve the level of protection or instruction in a potentially dangerous situation. It must be acted upon within a reasonable time but is not as immediate as a safety alert. A recently published safety notice was:Overfill of vapour recovery units To receive all the latest updates subscribe to our safety alerts and notices ebulletin. | 