First Ever No Falls Week Announced

The No Falls Foundation has announced the first ever No Falls Week to take place from the 13^th to the 17^th of May. The No Falls Foundation is a charity dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping those affected by life-changing injuries from such falls. They work with a number of partners, including organisations like IPAF, the Ladder Association, and FASET. The No Falls Foundation focuses on three distinct objectives:

• Education: highlighting the risks of working at height, completing proper risk assessments, the importance of informed equipment selection and professional training

• Research: researching and exchanging knowledge with a wide range of organisations

• Support: providing guidance, support, and relief to those suffering from ill-health, disability, financial hardship, or other disadvantages as a result of a fall from height or an object falling from height

 

The No Falls Week campaign takes place from May 13^th to May 17^th with the intention of raising awareness and promoting the importance of safe working at height. The foundation points to falls from heights consistently being the leading cause of workplace fatalities as the motivation behind the campaign. 40 people died due to falls from height between 2022 and 2023, and 30% of all workplace deaths were due to falls from height.

 

As part of No Falls Week, the No Falls Foundation is promising a range of different educational resources, including articles, guides, and videos, as well as accounts from those who have suffered from a fall at height. They also intend to create community discussions with safety advocates and professionals from various sectors being available. Finally, a number of educational interactive challenges will be available for people to complete in order to test their knowledge.

 

You can find out more and sign up to support the campaign on the No Falls Week website.

 

Some basic guidance to follow when working at height is to:

• Assess and control risks by considering the height, duration, and frequency of the task and the condition of the surface being worked on prior to starting any work at height
• Complete as much work as possible from the ground, and where possible, avoid working from height completely
• Ensure that workers can safely get to and from where they work at height
• Ensure that any equipment used is suitable for the job, well maintained, and checked regularly
• Take precautions and use appropriate equipment when working on or near fragile surfaces
• Provide protection from falling objects by ensuring that all material and equipment is secure, using equipment such as chutes and nets where required, and establishing an exclusion zone
• Consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures

 

If you have any questions or would like support with managing issues at your workplace, please speak to your usual contact or get in touch using the form below.