Falls from height
Contents
Each year in the air transport industry, the HSE receives about 40 reported incidents of employees injuring themselves after falling from height. About 15 of these are major injuries such as a fracture. Many of these accidents occur during:
- aircraft maintenance;
- getting in or out of aircraft;
- working on or from service equipment such as belt loaders, catering high loaders etc.
General precautions to reduce the risk of a fall
These simple measures should help to reduce the risk of a fall.
- Where possible, avoid work at height.
- Provide working platforms with suitable edge protection.
- Ensure that any adjustable edge protection has been properly set.
- Provide suitable edge protection or keep shut any openings in the aircraft fuselage (e.g. doors).
- Make sure that the access equipment used is stable.
- Maintain the access equipment.
- Train the people using the access equipment to use it in a safe and proper manner.
- Monitor the people undertaking the work to ensure that they follow your procedures in a safe manner.
Case study: Virgin Atlantic - maintenance steps
This case study is provided by Virgin Atlantic on aircraft maintenance steps. The company identified that a number of accidents happened when using maintenance steps. By working with a manufacturer they have greatly improved the design and safety features to the steps.
Further information
Further information can be found in:
