Why fall for it?

The leaflet ‘Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture’ has been revised to take account of the requirements of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and includes an update on the duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

It is sad to note that on the day this revised leaflet was launched, HSE was prosecuting a contractor who erects agricultural buildings. Two charges were put before the court that he had raised an employee to height and then permitted working at height from an unsafe working platform. Fortunately no accident had happened. Both charges were successful. Fines were issued on both counts and full costs awarded to HSE. ‘Why fall for it’ includes a reminder to all in agriculture that for planned or regular work at height only fully integrated and properly constructed working platforms should be used.

Falls from height remain the second highest cause of fatal injury in the agriculture sector. The leaflet retains the traditional case history approach. A key feature of the revision is the introduction which sets out the hierarchy for planning, managing the risks and selecting the right equipment for work at height.

Single copies of this leaflet are available free from HSE books. It can also be downloaded free from the web: