The Access Industry Forum (AIF) has submitted an official representation to HM Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The submission calls on the Government to introduce enhanced reporting of falls from height without the additional financial or administrative burden for Government, HSE or industry through the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
The AIF has suggested that the current reporting rules allow for a large degree of individual interpretation through the use of a ‘free text box’, where the person reporting is asked to describe in their own words what has occurred.
This results in mixed data which often does not contain enough detail of the incident which means that it is not as accurate as it could be.
AIF says this represents a missed opportunity to improve health and safety policy by reducing the number of accidents from working at height. The AIF would like to see this ‘free-text box’ replaced with simple drop-down menus in order to improve the quality of data.
At a minimum, this enhanced reporting would record the scale of a fall, the method used (e.g. ladder, scaffolding etc.) and the circumstance of the fall.
Better reporting would address concern within the industry that improvements in safety are hampered by a lack of empirical data and an understanding of the root causes of falls from height.
Furthermore, comprehensive information would better inform the policies of Government and businesses, and the guidance issued by associations, and the regulations developed by regulators.
Read the full AIF submission here
The Access Industry Forum is comprised of the 11 leading industry and certification bodies committed to advancing safety in the working at height sector. Established in 2004, the AIF supports codes of good practice, equipment standards, training, education and knowledge.
