Release of APPG Report is Encouraging; Hopefully more Coverage of Dropped Objects Going Forward


The APPG Report into Working at Height is a great initiative and makes a significant contribution to raising the profile of working at height safety in the UK.

 

Last year saw the release of the much-awaited APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) report into Working at Height Safety at the Palace of Westminster to which we were very privileged to be invited. The inquiry has been led by the Rt Hon Alison Thewliss and Peter Bennett OBE, the Managing Director of the Prefabricated Access Suppliers and Manufacturers Association (PASMA), both of whom deserve enormous credit for identifying the crucial need to raise awareness of the dangers of working at height and to investigate solutions.

Alison and Peter both gave informative talks outlining the findings of the inquiry. They were followed by Peter Blanchard, the victim of a serious injury caused by a fall from a roof several years ago and now an ardent campaigner for working at height accident prevention. Peter’s compelling talk, given to a silent room and describing the impact that the effects of the accident continues to have not only on his own life, but of those of his family, reminded us that hearing such personal testimony can be worth reading a hundred pages of accident statistics.

The report offers the following key recommendations, building on the existing 2005 Working at Height Regulations by:

    • - Simplifying and clarifying the guidance in the 2005 regulations in order to encourage understanding and compliance.
  • - Encouraging more reporting of accidents and near-misses through the implementation of RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).
  • - The setting up of an independent body to collect data for incidents which do not qualify for RIDDOR reporting
  • - Further promoting the Working Well at Height safety campaign.
  • - Extending the Scottish Fatal Accident Inquiry process, which obliges Ministers to report on all fatal accidents in the workplace or in custody, to the rest of the UK.
  • - After Brexit, continuing to adopt EU health and safety regulations, with a view to reviewing those regulations at some time in the future.

 

In terms of dropped object prevention, as we mention in the introduction to our website, some great work has been done in the UK and overseas with the objective of reducing dropped object accidents through tool and material containment along with improved work practices, and these can form the framework of future work into preventing accidents from falling objects.

Were you at the launch, or have you read the report?

We’d like to hear from you.



info@droppedobjectsafetyresources.com