CM’s survey for Safe Working At Height Week (7-13 November) finds widespread safety concerns about working at height. Neil Gerrard reports.
Nearly 60% of construction professionals think the industry’s workforce does not fully understand the risks involved with working at height.
That’s according to a new survey by CM for Safe Working at Height Week (7-13 November). The campaign brings together professional bodies, trade organisations and campaign groups to highlight the key issues surrounding current practice and future developments in safe working at height.
An emphatic 98.6% of the 200 construction professionals surveyed agreed that working at height is still a significant safety risk in the sector.
When it came to the types of equipment that they feel present the most risks, construction professionals highlighted ladders (selected by 88.8% of respondents) as posing one of the biggest dangers. That was followed by mobile access towers (56.6%) and scaffolding (41.3%).
Meanwhile, respondents identified three main ways to reduce risks and accidents while working at height. Specifying access equipment that is appropriate to the task and in good working order was the most popular route (selected by 79%). That was followed closely by better work planning to reduce work at height, such as the use of modular building (76.2%), and proper use of fall arrest, edge protection and other safety systems (74.1%).
