Fall arrest equipment should be considered

Employers have once again been reminded about the need for careful planning of work at height by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a man fell six metres to his death through a roof.

An investigation by the HSE revealed that the work had not been properly planned and, as a result, protective equipment and safe routes that could have prevented the accident were not in place.

Karl Raw, HSE's inspector on the case, said: "Safe routes and protective equipment should have been in position to allow the man to get to work areas without injury and measures to prevent or mitigate any falls should have been in place."

In 2010/11, falls from height accounted for 16 per cent of the 24,726 major injuries reported to HSE.

Employers can help to reduce the number of serious injuries suffered by workers each year by providing their employees with personal protective gear, such as fall arrest equipment. 

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