If you follow our blog or social content, you will recall that back in December, we shared news about two events we hosted in Glasgow and Fife, where we rolled out our Safety, Health, Welfare and Environmental (SHWE) management strategy. The purpose of the meetings was to share the vision and strategy with the whole team. Essentially, we want to create an organisational culture where everyone places health and safety first and foremost in everything we do. 

Bearing in mind our approach to health and safety, it will come as no surprise that we are supporting ‘No Falls Week,’ which runs from May 13th to 17th. No Falls Week is organised by the No Falls Foundation, the first and only UK-based charity devoted exclusively to the work at height sector.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people work at height in a variety of industry sectors. Some are more obvious than others, such as construction, roofing, and facilities management. Still, countless others work at height, often without realising it. This regularly occurs in day-to-day working environments such as shops, offices, factories, and hospitals. 

What they all have in common is risk. The risk of a fall that might kill them or leave them with severe injuries with potentially devastating consequences for their families, friends and work colleagues. 

According to figures published by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), during the five years 2015/16 – 2019/20, falls from height in the workplace accounted for an average of 34 fatal injuries per year (25% of the total of 171 fatal injuries over this period). Not just the most common cause of fatal injury. Falls from height also accounted for an estimated 38,800 non-fatal injuries to workers each year – an average of 106 injuries every day.  

The No Falls Foundation has three distinct objectives:

• To help keep people safe by creating greater awareness and understanding of the risks associated with working at height;

• To better understand the causes of falls from height through research and the exchange of information and knowledge;

• To support those people facing the aftermath and consequences of a fall from height.

At Taylor and Fraser, we fully support the vital work of the No Falls Foundation and endorse ‘No Falls Week’ as an essential campaign to raise awareness of the risks and help make workplaces safer for everyone.

Please join us by sharing this important campaign with your online communities. You can get more details and campaign resources on the No Falls Week website HERE.