The HSE has launched updated guidance on working at height in a bid to provide “clear, simple” advice on the law and to debunk common myths and misconceptions.
The guidance – which consists of refreshed work at height webpages and two updated leaflets, The Work at Height Regulations 2005: a brief guide (INDG401) and Safe use of ladders and stepladders: a brief guide (INDG455) – has been updated in light of recommendations from Professor Löfstedt’s 2011 review of UK health and safety law and the Red Tape Challenge.
Launching the new advice, HSE chair 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.”
According to the government, the new guidance:
- Provides simple advice about do’s and don’ts when working at height to ensure people are clear on what the law requires
- Busts some of the myths about health and safety law, such as the banning of ladders when they can still be used
- Offers targeted advice to help business in different sectors manage serious risks sensibly and proportionately
- Helps workers to be clearer about their own responsibilities for working safely
Welcoming the guidance, Peter Bennett, chair of the Access Industry Forum, which helped develop the guidance, said: “It was clear from the outset that where problems existed with the Work at Height Regulations, they arose from the misinterpretation of the regulations rather than from the regulations themselves.”
Source: British Safety Council
https://sm.britsafe.org/%E2%80%9Cmyth-busting%E2%80%9D-work-height-guidance-issued