Stepping up site safety
June 1st 2007

When it comes to construction site safety, meeting working at height regulations is not always simple. With some ambiguity still surrounding what defines 'at height' Claire Dowall, of Richard Burbridge, takes a closer look at how the regulations apply to staircase areas on construction sites and advises what steps can be taken to improve safety

Introduced in 2005, the Work at Height Regulations were designed to reduce falls from height and tackle the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury. However, aside from the obvious instances of working on roofs, scaffolding and ladders, the legislation also impacts on other construction site areas that are perhaps not immediately perceived to be 'at height'.

In January 2007, Durham-based developer Clearair Property Developments was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for breaching the Work at Height Regulations. While working on a barn conversion being undertaken by the firm, joiner Anthony Crack sustained serious injuries, including a spinal fracture, after falling around 2.5 metres down an unprotected stairwell. The company received a £1500 fine and was also ordered to pay costs of £1559.

"The accident was typical of the type of preventable falls which remain all too common in the construction industry, said HSE inspector, David Charnock commenting on the case. "Had there been adequate handrails or coverings in place at the stairwell, the accident could not have happened.

"Unfortunately, there was nothing to prevent Mr Crack from falling whilst he was working next to the opening.

The risks are well known, and the precautions are basic and straightforward." So, how does 'work at height' apply to open stairwells? 'Work at height' is deemed to be any place of work where there is potential for injury if a person falls while moving around, except by a staircase in a permanent workplace, where the stair balustrade will have been installed as a protective barrier.

However, on many construction sites, ranging from housing schemes through to commercial properties such as office developments, the final stair balustrade is often installed towards the end of a build to prevent it being damaged by other trades. In practice, this means that staircases can be left unprotected for many weeks or even months depending on the scale of the build, often with a potential drop of at least 2 metres.

In instances like these, construction employers, selfemployed tradesmen and principal site contractors are responsible and must do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent workers from falling on site.

Good practice As a first step towards compliance, the regulations recommend avoiding work at height wherever possible. The realities of a busy construction site mean that the use of work equipment or other measures to prevent falls on open stairwells is a more likely course of action.

The regulations emphasise collective protection measures over individual methods. Guardrails and toe boards fitted on staircase areas satisfy such criteria, providing a collective safety barrier that will not hinder work on site.

Ideally, such a barrier will be installed on staircases as soon as they are constructed, protecting all personnel working on site while internal works continue – from labourers and electricians through to site managers and building inspectors. The barrier should remain in place until the final balustrade is fitted, often at the end of the build process as part of second fix carpentry and joinery work.

Such safety barriers must be fit for purpose if they are to provide adequate protection. The Safety Handrail System from Richard Burbidge has been specifically developed for such applications. Suitable as an interim safety barrier on timber staircases, it consists of a metal newel post and base, kick board sleeve and adjustable metal handrails, available in a choice of lengths. The system is easy to fit and remove, as no tools are required, keeping installation time to a minimum, build projects on schedule and workers safe.

Over sixt % of major injuries are caused by falls from a height of less than two metres so providing sufficient protection on open stairwells will protect site workers as well as construction firms against HSE action.