Published on: 05 May 2022
Check out the latest advice and guidance updates from the HSE on the safe use of ladders and step ladders and reducing the risks of electrical injury at work, plus the latest safety alert regarding ear loop respirators.
Did you know that falls when working at height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality?
The HSE website has updated guidance which includes a wide range of information and advice on how and when to use a ladder at work, where ladders should be used, inspecting the condition of ladders and making sure that you use the right type of ladder and that you know how to use it safely.
Ladders and stepladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.
There is also a downloadable guidance document Safe use of ladders and stepladders, which the HSE has jointly produced with the Ladder Association.
Electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property but it is a part of everyday life
The HSE has produced an electrical safety at work mini website which gives advice on how to help reduce the risk of electrical injury in the workplace. The site also has helpful resources that can be accessed and illustrates the simple precautions that can be taken when working with or near electricity to significantly reduce the risk of electrical injury to operators.
The HSE is also running a HSE Inspectors’ Guide to Electrical Safety workshop on 11 May which offers a practical understanding of what the HSE inspectors are looking for in the control of general electrical safety risks. This course will be run again live online on 13-14 June.
HSE ear loop respirators safety alert
In its recent safety alert HSE does not recommend using ear loop masks/respirators as tight fitting RPE at work in GB.
New HSE research has revealed that respirators/masks which rely on ear loops to hold the respirator/mask in place, do not protect people adequately when used as tight fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
This safety alert advises duty holders, who have these items available in their workplaces, to revisit their Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) risk assessment and consider their RPE provision to ensure it is adequate, suitable for the user and the activity to be undertaken.
For full details and further guidance view the safety alert.
