A recent post from HSE (see link, below), illustrates how falls from height are currently the third highest cause of fatal injury in the food and drink industry, comprising 20% of fatal accidents. They reported that:
- There are around 80 major injuries (broken limbs, fractured skulls, etc.) each year
- A further 230 over-3-day absence injuries each year
- Falls from height can result in serious or even fatal injury even when the fall is less than 2m
In the above industry, an analysis of 150 falls from height accidents investigated by HSE over three years outlined the below working areas as being commonly involved in falls from height:
- Ladders: 40%
- Vehicles: 17%
- Machinery and plant: 10%
- Platforms: 10%
- Stairs: 8%
- Roofs: 7%
- Scaffolds: 4%
- Warehouse racking: 4%
With ladders being involved in 40% of falls, it pays to use the right type of ladder, and here at TB Davies we are constantly innovating safety into the fabric of our products.
One of these recent innovations is the “Ground Cue,” which came about through a collaboration between TB Davies and Little Giant Ladder Systems of Utah, USA. The Ground Cue is pre-installed on the first tread of a range of the latest Little Giant Ladders, providing the user with tactile and auditory feedback when the bottom tread is engaged. The feature aims to prevent operatives falling from the second tread of the stepladder, resulting in all too frequent sprained ankle (or worse) whilst working at height.
At TB Davies, our aim is to make working at height as safe as standing on solid ground. We do this by educating ladder and stepladder users through our training academy, demonstrating the latest product innovations, and we are always looking to improve our product portfolio with new and modern designs to keep your operatives safe.
The Ground Cue is just one of many engineering features with user safety in mind, so get in touch with the team at TB Davies today to find out how we can help you keep your team safe, sound and healthy.
If you would like to find out further information regarding the lastest safety innovations that TB Davies can provide you, please fill out the ‘Quick Enquiry Form‘ below with your details, and we will be in touch shortly to answer any questions you may have or provide further information at your request.
