HLS is the trusted working at height partner for dozens of prestigious organisations. And over the years, our proactive approach to work at height safety has supported in keeping thousands of people working at height safe and productive. We aim to help keep people safe by creating greater awareness and understanding of the risks associated with working at height. 

The risks in a fall from height

Every year, tens of millions of people work at height in a variety of industry sectors. This is most commonly in construction, roofing and facilities management. But there are also countless others who work at height on a day-to-day basis – often without realising it. These passive height workers might work in shops, offices, factories and hospitals. 

What they all have in common is risk. The risk of a fall that might kill them or leave them with serious life-changing injuries. And this has potentially devastating consequences for their families, friends and work colleagues. 

The statistics

According to figures published by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), during the five-year period 2012/13 – 2016/17, falls from height in the workplace accounted for an average of 40 fatal injuries per year. This accounted for 28% of the total of 712 fatal injuries over this period.

Not just the most common cause of fatal injury, falls from height also accounted for an estimated 43,000 non-fatal injuries to workers each year. That is an average of 118 injuries every day. 

Life after a fall

The aftermath and consequences of a fall from height injury can be a life changing experience. Jason Anker, is an inspirational safety speaker and ambassador for the No Falls Foundation. He has personally faced the aftermath and consequences of a fall from height. And he’s gone on to use that life-changing experience to become a champion and advocate of work at height safety. 

Having been in a major accident many years ago, Jason speaks on the emotional perspective of why Health and Safety is more than ticking boxes. 

Watch the video to hear about his experience: 

We know you found that video eye-opening and powerful. At HLS, we want to prevent this from happening, so we have created our working at height blog and free resources which include the HLS working at height expert guide, ladders safety toolkit and  MEWP Pre-use Inspection Checklist for you to access and share with your team and colleagues. We are also always happy to provide free and confidential advice about any work at height concerns you may have. 

Future content

Up next in this blog series on preventing falls from height, we we will look at the following topics:

• Risk assessments 
• Selecting the right equipment 
• The importance of training