The latest Safety Alert describes an incident in our UK Operations where a contract scaffolder fell through a conveyor walkway. Thankfully the contractor is making a good recovery, however, the incident is a reminder that it is essential we have the right controls in place to prevent falls from height.  Falls from height are consistently the most common cause of worker deaths across UK industry, with the Health and Safety Executive statistics for 2021 / 2022 confirming nearly one quarter of workers killed in work related accidents resulted from falls from height, 29 of the 123 deaths.

Please review the details of the incident with your team, including relevant contractors, and consider whether you have all the necessary controls in place, not just for work at height, but for all high-risk tasks:

• Is there sufficient planning of high-risk tasks?  Do you consider how risks can be eliminated or reduced to keep everyone safe?
• Do Risk Assessments and Method Statements consider the way tasks will be done and any specific hazards / risks and necessary precautions?
• Do Managers and Supervisors who are required to issue Permits to Work have sufficient relevant knowledge and experience?
• Are Permits to Work task specific, and is there always a High-Risk Permit whenever one of the Cemex prescribed “high risk” tasks are being carried out, including:
  • Confined and enclosed space entry.
  • Isolation not included in a specific documented lock-out procedure.
  • Work at height without a secure safe platform.
  • Ground work excavations where there may be a risk to existing services, such as gas and oil pipelines, electrical cables, etc. (excluding normal quarry excavations).
  • High voltage electrical maintenance.
  • Maintenance on pontoons and maintenance on pumps without edge protection from deep water.
  • Hot work near flammable materials.
  • Non–routine unblocking activities in Pre-heater Towers.
  • Non-routine maintenance using cranes outside of designated workshops.
• Are contract personnel required to have a formal Cemex induction at least annually, in addition to the local induction when they arrive on site?
• Do we encourage contractors to follow good practice and complete pre task / point of work risk assessments?

Specifically for work at height:

• Do we know when scaffold designs are required? HSE Guidance: Construction – Scaffold checklist – HSE
• Do we have strict controls and physical barriers whenever sections of flooring or handrails are removed and there is a risk of falling?
• Are harnesses with double lanyards used, and chinstraps required to be worn with safety helmets where there is a risk of falls from height?

Please review the Alert with your teams, considering whether there are any opportunities to improve our methods of working and eliminate or reduce the risk of injury.

Please also display the Alert on relevant noticeboards.  They can be found on the UK News download page:  [Download not found]