Beyond compliance: creating a proactive safety culture on site

Health and safety isn’t a paper exercise for trade businesses – it’s what helps get your employees home safely at the end of every shift.

For companies whose teams work at height every day – on ladders and access equipment – the risks are real and immediate. Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of serious injury on construction sites and in maintenance environments. That’s why health and safety regulations must sit at the top of the agenda for any contractor, facilities provider or specialist trade firm.

Dave Elson, Compliance Manager at leading ladders and access equipment specialist Werner, outlines the key considerations when building a practical, site-ready health and safety policy that actually works in the real world.

Make safety part of the job – not an add-on

No trade company can afford to treat compliance as a tick-box exercise. When your builders, electricians, decorators or maintenance teams are climbing ladders multiple times a day, safe practice needs to be second nature. That means:

• Selecting the correct ladder or access equipment for the  task
• Ensuring equipment is inspected and maintained
• Providing appropriate training for working at height
• Reinforcing safe behaviours on every site, every day

Whether you run a small contracting firm or manage multiple teams across large commercial projects, you have the same legal duties to protect employees, subcontractors and anyone affected by your work.

Clear ownership from the top

In most trade businesses, responsibility for developing and maintaining a robust health and safety policy sits with the Health & Safety Manager or Director. Whilst some companies will have an HR department to drive forward the health and safety programme, the majority won’t, with working at height/maintenance jobs usually overseen by a specific Health & Safety manager.

They are accountable for ensuring compliance with working at height regulations, risk assessments, equipment inspection regimes and training records.

However, policy alone isn’t enough. Senior leadership must back it with:

• Adequate budget for compliant ladders and access equipment
• Time allocated for refresher training
• Clear reporting systems for near-misses and incidents
• Regular audits of on-site practices

Without visible commitment from the top, safety standards can quickly slip under commercial pressure.

Supervisors set the tone on site

Day-to-day implementation falls to site supervisors, project managers and team leaders. They are the ones who see how tasks are actually carried out – whether ladders are tied off correctly, whether operatives are overreaching, or whether the wrong piece of kit is being used “just for a quick job.”

Supervisors must feel empowered to stop unsafe practices immediately. In a trade environment, productivity pressures are real, but no deadline justifies a preventable fall.

Training

Your safety journey begins with the ladders you buy. Werner provides guidance on what needs to be considered when choosing the right ladder for the work in hand. Not only will it help you to remain safe but can make the job easier.

Training should always include fall prevention, covering hazard identification, emergency response, and legal responsibilities for both workers and employers.

As a global leader in the manufacturer of ladders and access safety equipment, Werner takes its responsibility towards retailers, merchants and end-users seriously and offers a range of training options, including the Ladder Association’s Ladders & Stepladders Users Course and PASMA programs. Through Werner’s Stepping Up to Ladder Safety campaign, trade professionals can also access downloadable guides on ladder selection, inspection, and safe use.

By prioritising safety at every stage, design, procurement, training, and enforcement – the number of workplace accidents taking place can be significantly reduced and ensure safer conditions for all professionals working at height. To view Werner’s Ladder Safety Guides, please visit: Ladder Safety

Anyone working at height should be mindful of the potential danger, whether it’s just a few rungs up a ladder or 10 feet or more off the ground, when a fall is likely to cause a far greater injury. However, whatever the height, the same safety protocols should be observed.

Selecting the correct ladder for the job-in-hand is important. Below are some points to consider:

Ladders for trade professionals

For a multi-trade builder, a ladder is an essential part of the toolkit, so it’s important to have equipment that is flexible and built for safety to meet the demands of different work environments.

Werner ladders are designed to handle a wide range of job requirements, from electrical and plumbing work through to general maintenance and plastering, providing the versatility and reliability needed to get the work done.

Ladders for electricians

Aluminium ladders are suitable for many tasks, but if you're carrying out electrical installations or working near power lines, for example, then using a non-conductive option is recommended - one with fibreglass stiles will help reduce the risk of an electric shock.

Each Werner fibreglass ladder is constructed using extremely durable, non-conductive fibreglass stiles that are highly resistant to weathering. Werner’s Leansafe X3, a 3-in-1 fibreglass multi-purpose ladder meet the needs of many jobs around the worksite and is more than just a stepladder. It is also an extension ladder and designed to securely lean against corners, studs and poles. For greater reach, a fibreglass extension ladder is also available from Werner.

Ladders suitable for plasterers

Werner work platforms, and ladders with a platform, allow plasterers to focus on their tasks without constantly adjusting for balance or worrying about the stability of their workspace. This leads to increased productivity and efficiency, ultimately saving time and effort on the job.

Werner has a full range of ladders suitable for plasterers to use, including the Adjustable & Linking PRO Work Platform, which can configure to 10 different platform heights with Quick Link technology allowing two or more platforms to be joined to create a larger, continuous work surface. Another popular product is the Werner 5-in-1 Combination Ladder with Platform.    

Engraining health & Safety awareness among employees

With the raft of health and safety legislation that companies need to adhere to, it’s vital that not only are they implemented, but that its effectiveness is reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Instilling a culture of health and safety among employees is important, and ongoing training programmes can help to do this. Employees also need to remain vigilant and report any potential safety risks to the management team.

Media contact:

HROC PR Ltd.

E: [email protected]

T: 0121 454 9707