Fall From A Roof – Working At Heights Certificate
A commercial kitchen cleaning company has been fined $30,000 after a worker was seriously injured in a fall from a roof in Geelong. The worker did not have a Working At Heights Certificate. Its becoming all too common that employers are failing to control the risk of a fall from height, as well as failing to provide instruction and training on working at heights.
The company was convicted and ordered to pay costs of $3,367.
Two workers had attended a church tasked with cleaning extraction fans on the building’s roof. They had received instructions about the job via text message from a their supervisor. One of the workers set up a ladder against a metal awning that wrapped around the church. Although convenient they should have used the designated building ladder access point. After climbing the ladder without a safety harness, the worker was walking along the awning when it gave way. He fell about 5.5 metres to the ground.
The worker was treated on scene then taken to hospital suffering a crushed lower vertebra, a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder.
Employers Need To Provide Workers With Proper Workplace Training
WorkSafe investigations revealed that neither worker had been trained in working at heights and were not being supervised by anyone who had been. It was also found that no Safe Work Method Statement had been prepared for the task. WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Julie Nielsen said there were no excuses for failing to protect workers against falls from height.
- Falls are a leading cause of death and serious injury in Victorian workplaces, and
- Both the risks and measures that should be used to control them are well known
“WorkSafe will not hesitate to prosecute employers who fail to ensure their workers are properly trained and appropriate safety measures are in place.”
A Working At Heights Certificate Can Prevent Falls
Here’s some practical measures that can be used for fall prevention:
- Eliminate the risk by doing all or some of the work on the ground or from a solid construction.
- Use a passive fall prevention device such as scaffolds, perimeter screens, guardrails, safety mesh or elevating work platforms.
- A positioning system, such as a travel-restraint system, to ensure employees work within a safe area.
- Provide a fall arrest system, such as a harness, catch platform or safety nets. This will limit the risk of injuries in the event of a fall.
- Use a fixed or portable ladder, or implement administrative controls.
Call COVE Training on (03) 8773 9000 to learn more about A Working at Heights Certificate and on-demand course delivery options. (RTO) No. 21386