Reported on Tue, 09 May 2006

The majority of small businesses in the UK are unaware of legislation requiring them to be responsible for the safety of their employees working at heights, claims a financial provider, but a business loan could help small firms to tighten up their health and safety practices.

Norwich Union believes that too many accidents are occurring in workplaces because managers are not conscious of the new Working at Height regulations, which specifies that any work conducted above ground level is considered at height.

Phil Grace of Norwich Union explained that it was not just sectors normally associated with accidents from falls that were experiencing damages, with falls also likely in trades such as decorating, building and farming.

"Painters and decorators fall from ladders more often than people would imagine and the resulting broken ankles and wrists can put workers out of action permanently. We have also seen falls from simple equipment such as ladders result in brain damage," he said.

"And on farms, it has become common for people to be lifted up using pallets or potato boxes balanced on fork lift trucks, which is clearly unsuitable."

Mr Grace added that because it is a manager's responsibility to ensure that risks of high working are controlled, it was important that small firms improved their safety records, especially ahead of investigations by the Health and Safety Executive.

"Our own files reveal the human cost of falls, and often from unlikely places," he concluded.

Small businesses concerned at the damaging effects of long-term injury or government fines could take out business loans to pay for staff training or invest in better safety equipment.
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