Lawford Kidd's Blog

Revised guidance for employers and employees on working at height has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The move comes as part of the Government’s commitment to crack down on regulations that it believes are overly complicated, out of date or too burdensome.

Working at height

Working at height is very common in the working environment, with an estimated ten million workers thought to carry out jobs that require them to work at height at some point every year.

Too many workers in the UK are continuing to suffer serious injury, or in some cases death, as a result of falls from height. This type of accident is particularly common in the construction sector, where workers on building sites are regularly expected to work several stories above the ground.

Working at Height Regulations

The inherent risks involved in working at height are obvious, and there are regulations in place that should help ensure these workers are protected as much as possible.

One of the key pieces of legislation providing this protection is the Work at Height Regulations 2005, in which Regulation 6(3) states: "Where work is carried out at height, every employer shall take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling from a distance liable to cause personal injury."

A costume designer is suing the National Film and Television School for damages after she was injured falling off a staircase, reports the Telegraph.

Sunwoo Chun, who was carrying out voluntary work at Beaconsfield Studios, had climbed the unprotected stairs to adjust an actor's trousers. She stepped backwards, fell three metres and broke her spine. She has been left paralysed from the chest down and relies on help from family and professional carers to carry out day to day tasks.

According to the Telegraph, she is claiming £300,000 in compensation for her injuries.