We recently started working with an Edinburgh-based Health & Safety Consultant, Colin Watt Associates. Located near Bilston on the outskirts of Edinburgh, they have been working in the construction industry for many a year and have some hair-raising and scarcely believable stories to report on.
Anecdotes aside, Colin says the whilst serious injuries can still occur, the overall rate of mortality and life-affecting injuries has been reduced by some very good advances in technology which make for working at heights (an area of their expertise) something which can be very well managed and overseen.
There are all sorts of fall-arrest harnesses, special floor coverings and specialist ropes and pulleys for many types of work which are the mainstay of your regular steeplejack but the key, in Colin's view starts at the very top, figuratively and literally.
With competitive tendering meaning that many companies have to trim down costs for many construction projects, but if, like me you see the sheer array of notices and protective measure demanded around constructions sites you will see that companies never sacrifice safety measures. As a somewhat flippant side-comment (by us) it doesn't do to be lax about these things as good staff and team members are a lot harder to find than state of the art equipment! Back onto the serious note, I'm impressed with the ingenuity of the design and development of equipment which has been brought into the mainstream for everyday use to keep the workforce safe and its testament to the powers that be in major (and not so major) companies that they embrace this technology to keep their construction sites safe places of work.
Colin Watt Associates are ATLAS members and provide consultancy support for CDM projects and for long term staff health and safety training for all things height-based. For more information contact them on 0845 338 7038
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