Risk assessments must be adequate

Categories: Construction Health and Safety |


Risk assessments must be adequate A serious of "collective errors" was behind the death of a construction worker who fell from height through a skylight, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has asserted.

The 42-year-old father of two dropped six metres while working on a fragile roof, with no fall prevention or mitigation measures in place.

Inspectors later found that while a risk assessment had been carried out, it was inadequate, as was a method statement.

HSE inspector Frank Flannery commented: "This was a wholly preventable incident in which a man in his prime - a father-of-two - lost his life. This incident was not the result of the actions of an individual; rather it is the result of collective failures."

Companies concerned about their employees' welfare while they are working at height could invest in safety helmets.

Steven Binnie, product manager at Arco, noted: "The cost of new head protection from Arco is far less than the cost of compensation for injury - or for an employee who may pay with their life because of inadequate protection."
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