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Be Height Aware
6th Sep, 2006 to 6th Nov, 2006
Everyday actions like reaching for a mobile phone or a cup of tea could be risking the safety of people working at height, with falls from below head height injuring thousands every year at work. TV DIY expert Tommy Walsh has joined forces with the HSE to launch ‘Height aware’, a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers faced by people who operate at relatively low heights.
A survey of 150 workers, who were questioned on behalf of the HSE at a recent building exhibition, revealed that one in three admit to putting their safety at risk by answering their mobile phones while working below head height. The same proportion of people routinely overreach to avoid moving their ladders during low-level work, and one in seven of those surveyed even admit to reaching dangerously to pick up a cup of tea on the job.
The survey also indicates that tradespeople routinely underestimate the risks associated with working below head height, believing it to be less dangerous than lifting heavy objects.