High priority for campaign

Ladders and stepladders at work will be the focus of a campaign this month in south Warwickshire by saftey inspectors to reduce the risks of falling. The Height Aware Campaign is underway and inspectors from Stratford-on-Avon District Council will be visiting premises in the area during June 2006 to target work at heights.  

The aim is to help employers ensure that staff and contractors working at height are not at risk of falling. This campaign is building on the success of the ladder safety week in November 2005 when a total of 18 dangerous ladders were found and disposed of within the Stratford area.  

 "Falls are the biggest killer in the workplace and one of the most significant causes of major injury to employees, accounting for 53 deaths and 3,800 serious injuries in 2004/5," said Cllr Simon Jackson, the District Council's Portfolio Holder for Environment.  

"About one third of these injuries are the result of falls from ladders and stepladders which are the commonest bits of access equipment in virtually all workplaces. As a result, the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has included falls from height as a Priority Programme topic in the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety Campaign and the Fit 3 (Fit for Life, Fit for Work, Fit for Tomorrow) Strategic Delivery Programme.  

"During the Height Aware campaign our inspectors will visit premises in the area, examining work at height procedures, providing advice on the safe use of equipment and recommending safer systems of work. Formal action will be considered if a substantial risk of fall injuries has not been avoided by proper health and safety management."  

An information pack including leaflets will be provided during the visit. Further information on Stratford District Council's campaign is available from the Public Protection Team Tel. 01789 260832 alternatively the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/ is full of general information. The website includes a number of case studies of falls from ladders, together with advice on the precautions that should be taken to prevent such accidents