Falls from height were the cause of most work-related fatalities in Britain during 2022/23.
The most recent annual figures revealed that 40 workers were killed in falls from height last year.
Make sure you take the necessary precautions and see our working at height website for guidance on how you can protect employees.
The site also has a range of useful information and sources of advice for employers. They include
key messages to follow before working from height and some common work at height myths.
There are also useful resources available, including our relevant publications which are free to download.
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The worker was operating a scissor lift from the ground to clear an access path so he could move pieces of machinery out of the workshop and load it onto his lorry in the yard.
The moveable controls on the scissor lift were in a position meaning that their direction was inverted and when the machinery was operated, it came towards the worker and crushed him against a static scissor lift.
HSE's investigation found the company had failed to:
- sufficiently consider the dangers of operating machinery via moveable controls
- provide appropriate monitoring and supervision during the morning when drivers were loading machinery onto their lorries
For further details read this press release.
Our website has guidance on workplace equipment and machinery.
Other recent prosecution cases include:
HSE's safety alerts and notices keep employers and workers up to date with failures in equipment, process, procedures and substances used in the workplace.
Safety alerts are for major faults that would result in a serious or fatal injury and where immediate remedial action is required.
A recently published safety alert was: Lorry loaders crush risk from powered tilting stabilisers
Safety notices are usually issued to facilitate a change in procedure, or when an action is required to improve the level of protection or instruction in a potentially dangerous situation. It must be acted upon within a reasonable time but is not as immediate as a safety alert.
A recently published safety notice was: Overfill of vapour recovery units
To receive all the latest updates subscribe to our safety alerts and notices ebulletin.
HSE will continue to deliver a wide range of innovative and relevant training courses and events in 2024.
Our training courses are delivered by experts, both virtually and in-person, to help organisations comply with the law and keep workforces healthy and safe.
Find out more about HSE's training and events.
Upcoming courses include:
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Give your career a kickstart as 2024 begins and join our team saving lives and livelihoods here at HSE.
We currently have a range of vacancies. For details of selected posts, follow the links below:
You can also subscribe to our jobs ebulletin to receive details of all the latest vacancies on a regular basis.
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