FOCUS ON HEIGHT SAFETY
October 1st 2007 Mike Luke, chair of the BSIF Height Safety Group, comments on issues of height safety.
"Work at Height is still at the top of HSE’s improvement programme and the BSIF HSG continues to maintain regular contact with senior members of HSE’s inspectorate to seek improvements in work practices, product testing standards and training.
“Directly involved with several height safety focused HSE committees and representative committees from the construction industry, the BSIF HSG is seeking to increase understanding of the risks to those who work at height and to contribute to a reduction in accident rates.
"The BSIF HSG has focused on improving several of the test requirements for fall arrest products. As the scope of height safety equipment and the uses to which it is put, develops, it is essential for manufacturers to continue to take account of the uses to which the product is put and to take note of any additional information provided by research into its safe use. Only by taking a pro-active stance can we ensure that product the industry supplies continues to offer the standard of safety expected of us.
"HSG members are aware of the difficulties in ensuring that the content and quality of height safety training and education for industry is of an acceptable quality and consistency in line with BS8454.
"HSG is looking into the possibility of a specific Height Safety NVQ. This will mirror the ACWHAT core syllabus. It is a follow on from BS8454, also provided by the ACWHAT group. the proposed NVQ has received the support of HSE and assistance from a senior SEMPTA staff. HSG sees this as a positive step to ensuring that people entering the industry do so in a professional and measured way." More articles from British Safety Industry Federation: | 
