Health and safety is essential for steeplejacks

Posted on September 3, 2014 by heightw in Blog Entry

Falls from heights are one the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities in the UK. Even falling from a relatively small height can cause a fatal injury. It is no wonder that there are strict health and safety regulations to follow when working at heights. Risk assessments need to be conducted, suitable safety equipment needs to be provided and action plans must be put in place.

Steeplejacks face a number of hazards on every job, especially when they are working on high rise structures with poor accessibility. They require specialist skills and a great deal of training to ensure they can work safely and effectively in the challenging environments they are faced with.

Accessing structures is one of the most challenging aspects of the steeplejack industry, particularly when it is things like industrial chimney stacks or church spires where the only option is to access from the outside. This means workers are subjected to the elements and need to contend with additional hazards. There are a number of different access methods to choose from, each with their own advantages and risks. All safety equipment needs to be checked to make sure it is in the best condition before and after use.

Before the steeplejacks ascend the structure they need to do a full risk assessment. If they are making alterations to the structure they need to account for falling debris and the risk of surfaces being weakened. All workers should have relevant certification and appropriate experience.

When hiring steeplejacks you need to ensure they have a good safety record and follow guidelines closely. At Heightwise, we have a team of fully trained professionals with a wealth of experience, who can always be relied on to offer the highest standards of service and safety. In such dangerous settings it is essential that everybody has the knowledge to work in the safest manner possible, both for their own safety and for that of the other people on or around the site.

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