11th November 2016
A substantial amount of the work carried out on a construction site involves working from a height. Inevitably, this brings with it risk of serious injuries or even fatalities to the workforce. In fact, the construction industry is affected by the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths as a result of falls, slips and trips when working at a height than any other occupation.
As a consequence, there is an obligation on employers to ensure that sufficient protective measures are taken to remove or reduce the risk to their employees from working at height. It is important they take the necessary steps to fulfil this obligation as failure to do so may result in a breach of the relevant health and safety legislation and could also give rise to a legal action for substantial damages by an injured worker or his or her dependents. This obligation on employers to protect their workforce from the risk of falling when they are working at height includes the provision of the appropriate protective equipment equipment, including scaffolds, nets and/or soft landing systems that have the effect of lessening the distance of a fall, thereby reducing the potential seriousness of the damage that is caused to the worker.
However, construction projects often involve working in small and awkward places where the more commonly used types of fall protection equipment are not always appropriate. In such cases, a more flexible type of fall protection is required and the use of portable and modular fall protection bags is ideally suited to these requirements. Fall-Pac offer a full range of theses products.
Portable and Modular Fall-Protection Bags
One of the best features of portable and modular fall protection bags is their versatility. This makes them an ideal fall protection solution for the construction industry, as they can be easily moved around the site and installed into some of the small and awkward spaces for which other types of fall protection are not suitable. Fall safety bags reduce the impact of a fall from height by providing a safe and soft landing. They are carefully positioned in a location or locations beneath those work sites where alternative forms of fall protection are not available or to supplement the protection provided by other fall protection systems. Research carried out by Health and safety executive has pointed out the simplicity of fall arrest bags as being a major factor in their use but also makes it clear that their employment is only likely to be effective if the modules are properly positioned beneath where work at height is being undertaken.
Working at height safety.
In order to provide optimal levels of protection to the workforce and ensure compliance with current health and safety obligations, employers must take reasonable steps to minimise the risks of working at height. In the Construction Industry, where, both externally and internally, there are many work locations that are cramped, small, awkward and difficult to access, this involves finding a flexible, versatile, yet simple solution. Portable and modular fall protection bags are ideally suited to all of these requirements and are an essential part of the armoury of fall protection systems that are required within the construction industry.