Dangers of working at heights

Working at height isn’t for the faint-hearted. But it can offer you a steady, competitive salary to compensate you for the risks you take. Below, we explore the injuries you can suffer when working from height and how you can improve safety for yourself and the rest of the workplace. 

The different types of work you carry out at heights

Working at height refers to any job where you have to work from a height that could potentially cause you an injury. Usually, people will imagine extreme jobs, such as operating a crane or a cherry picker. But there are many everyday jobs that carry the risk of working from height. This could be something like working from a ladder as you carry out DIY jobs, or if you’re cleaning windows. Ultimately, it’s important to recognise when you’re working from a hazardous height and take precautions to keep yourself safe. 

How common are injuries from falling?

Injury statistics on falling at work reveal how dangerous working from height can be. In the food and drink industry alone, falling from height accounts for 20 per cent of fatal accidents. Many of these incidents occurred where the fall was around just two metres, highlighting how even small falls can be deadly. The analysis also reveals some of the most common tools that led to these injuries. 40 per cent of falls came from ladders, vehicles accounted for 17 per cent and machinery and platforms both accounted for 10 per cent of accidents each. The lesson is clear: you should never feel complacent when working from height, even if you feel secure and unconcerned about a fall. 

Improving safety

There are plenty of steps you can take to improve safety for yourself and others around you when working from heights. For a start, you and your colleagues should be adequately trained for the job at hand – if you don’t feel qualified for the task, ask your employer for training. Next, you should assess your environment for hazards when working from height. Take some time before the job to identify hazards and mitigate their risk. Finally, you should always inspect the equipment you’re using to make sure there aren’t any faults – this can help you avoid any nasty surprises at heights.

Sometimes, even if you take all the necessary precautions and even if you’re experienced at working from heights, accidents can happen. If you’ve suffered an accident that wasn’t your fault, then you could consider making a personal injury claim. By working with an experienced lawyer, you can try and win the compensation you deserve to help you move on and focus on your recovery.