Guidance designed to help employers protect staff working at height has been updated by the Health and Safety Executive.
The overhauled guidance comes as part of a sustained drive to simplify safety regulations. It aims to set out in simple terms what to do and what not to do when working at height.
Chair of the HSE, Judith Hackitt, said: “It’s important to get working at height right. Falls remain one of the biggest causes of serious workplace injury – with more than 40 people killed and 4,000 suffering major injuries every year.”
The HSE has enshrined the changes to the Work at Height Regulations 2005 in a new guide. Key provisions include:
- Ensuring employers are clear on what the law expects
- Bursting a number of persistent myths about health and safety law
- Tailored advice to help business in different sectors manage serious risks
- Empowering workers with knowledge about their own responsibilities
Falls from height remain one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries, with common causes traced back to falls from ladders and through fragile roofs.
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