Effective and positive planning must be top of the agenda for construction business leaders. From project costs and recruitment to communication with other enterprises, the more organised they are, the more likely that everything will run smoothly.
It is the same mantra that must be applied to workplace safety planning when there are employees operating at a height. However, standards and processes such as emergency plans that were once perfectly aligned to the business can be quickly outgrown – highlighting the importance of reviewing your practices regularly. So, when should you consider changing how you think about height safety?
According to Safe Work Australia’s Emergency Plans Fact Sheet, there are many events that should prompt changes around safety. Read on to find out more.
1) Number on site increases
A workplace only becomes more dangerous as more people are involved – especially when heights are concerned.
It is always a positive sign when the workforce increases as it either means the project is expanding or becoming more complex and requires additional staff. However, from an emergency perspective, it only becomes more dangerous as more people are involved – especially when heights are concerned.
As such, this is a good time to consider your emergency strategy and invest in better working at heights equipment to support the growing workforce. Perhaps this is extra harnesses, more step ladders, stairs and platforms – all contributing to increasing safety on site.
2) Workplace changes
When a workplace goes undergoes a relocation or refurbishment, this is a clear opportunity to assess the procedures in place and identify any areas of improvement. Of course, in similar fashion to the above, those original plans may not fit the new environment – exposing workers to different dangers.
From a working at heights perspective, workplace changes may call for new equipment and technology. This is where the helpful team at Anchor Safe Systems can be of assistance. Our expert team is more than happy to come to your site and develop designs tailored for your customers and applicable to every project and process.
Whether your new site needs custom guardrails, walkways or other fall protection assets, we can use our computer-aided design software to fit your every requirement.
3) New workplace activities
New workplace activities should prompt a change in policy.
Over time, workplaces develop and change – perhaps as the industry evolves or the demand from customers takes a different direction. While this could be a positive for the business bottom line, every time workers change what they are doing on site, it presents a new set of workplace hazards. However, if the safety plan or process around the activity hasn’t been revised, it could present unnecessary risks for workers.
At the end of the day, the safety of workers is paramount. This means before your team starts new activities, develop and implement a thorough risk assessment plan. Of course, Anchor Safe Systems are on hand to provide any additional equipment that may be required.
4) After an accident
According to Safe Work Australia, there have been 112 workplace fatalities in 2016. While this year is on course to record fewer deaths than 2015, this is still a large number of people not coming home after a day at work. As such, when there is a workplace accident or incident, this is a good time to consider what changes need to be made for the future.
If the state workplace authority is involved, there could be directions to address these problems, or the business leader can make the decision on their own. Either way, it is vital to learn from accidents and incidents to ensure that these events don’t repeat themselves in the future.
For more information about addressing height safety, contact our team today.
