Any Fall from a Height is Dangerous

At MC Labour we are committed to ensuring the good health and safety of our workers, both onsite and in the office. According to Safe Work Australia, in 2018, 13% of fatal injuries obtained in the workplace were due to falls from heights, and from 2017 to 2018, there were 24,890 serious claims of injury made due to falls from heights.

Our goal is to help reduce these numbers by educating our community on the risks, and of proper safety practices. It is important to know that this information is important for every-day life, as the risks of falling from a height are not reduced by the location, but only from safe and educated practice.

LABOUR:

Remember your three points of contact!

  • Falls from ladders are a primary cause of work-related fatalities. To ensure you are safe and following the correct procedure, it is important to do the following:
    • Check your surroundings
    • Check the ladder is stable
    • Ensure the ladder is on a dry surface
    • When ascending or descending a ladder you must always be facing it while maintaining your three points of contact
    • Do not use a ladder if it is damaged
    • Never sit on the top step
    • Do not use a ladder if the workplace surface is not solid and stable

Assess risks

  • Every year in Australia, an average of 29 people die from work-related falls. To help reduce these numbers and ensure your safety, it is important to:
    • Check the scaffolding has safety approval before using it
    • Do not use the scaffolding if it is damaged
    • Always wear the appropriate PPE
    • Never modify the scaffold without approval from the supervisor.
    • Never assume going up 1-2m is not a big deal. A fall from any height can be fatal

Watch your step

  • According to safetysolutions.net.au, falls from trucks, semitrailers, and forklifts were the second highest cause of work-related deaths in 2018. To ensure you are being safe around vehicles, you need to:
    • Engage a spotter when loading or unloading
    • Use handhold to access/egress trucks and forklifts
    • When accessing/egressing a forklift you must be facing the forklift and have three points of contact

TRAFFIC:

Be aware of your surroundings

  • You can still be injured from a fall from under 0.5m height. To ensure your safety, make sure you:
    • Ensure you are always aware of your surroundings
    • Ensure you are always wearing the correct PPE while on site
    • Watch where you are walking
    • Never walk and text
    • Never walk backward on a site

Assess the risks

  • Just because a situation does not look dangerous, it does not mean you are safe from potential injury. To ensure your safety at all times it is important to:
    • Be cautious of your surroundings when working on site
    • Always be aware of potential fall hazards when working on site
    • Never move carelessly around your worksite
    • Never begin working without identifying and assessing potential fall hazards

Watch your step!

  • Falls from trucks, semitrailers, and forklifts were the second highest cause of work-related deaths in 2018. To help reduce these numbers and ensure your safety, it is important to:
    • Always maintain your ‘three points of contact’ when entering or exiting the truck
    • Ensure surfaces around the truck and ramp are free of ground hazards
    • Never walk on surfaces contaminated by water, diesel, mud, or ice when working around trucks
    • Do not jump from plant and equipment

AT HOME AND IN THE OFFICE:

Check your office equipment regularly

  • You can still be injured from a fall from under 0.5m height. To ensure your safety, make sure you:
    • Check your desk chair for damage every six months to see if any parts need tightening or replacing
    • Ensure floor surrounding is free of obstacles
    • Never stand on a chair or use a chair in place of a step ladder
    • Don’t lean back on your chair. This could result in the chair breaking or sliding out from under you

For more information about work-related risks and statistics from Safe Work Australia, head to https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/statistics-and-research/statistics/statistics

 

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