This handbook has been produced to outline how the potential hazards associated with work at height activities can be either eliminated or mitigated. Based on the hierarchy of control, the handbook provides ‘clear, simple and smart’ guidance for those managing Work at Height.

An introduction is provided for each element of the hierarchy of control, along with examples of good practice and questions every site should be asking. The guidance should be considered when conducting a risk assessment and conducting a work at height safety review. The handbook is designed for use by managers, employees, and contractors within the mineral products industry. Please share it within your organisation.

This guidance note aims to help ensure best practice. It will be regularly revised to reflect new innovations which further control risk, e.g. from ideas generated by the annual QPA H&S Awards. It is intended that in future developments the scope also will be widened. It is recommended that sites have clear signage at their entrances and at their weighbridges that reinforce the message that climbing onto loaded vehicles is prohibited. A number of industry activities are considered and a hierarchy of control measures described which if applied will significantly reduce the falls from height risk.

The poor management and sub-standard quality of ships’ rope ladders are putting the lives of marine pilots at risk, according to new findings by the MAIB.

Please follow link to further information and see pdf of an APB poster produced to provide guidance on this issue

The Building Products Delivery Working Group (BPDWG) is a UK committee of manufacturers, logistics & transport companies and regulators (HSE). The aim of the BPDWG is to aid in developing best practice in the Building Products Supply Industry for loading, moving and unloading goods safely. As a recent initiative, the committee examined ways of eliminating or reducing the risks of working at height associated with the use of load security techniques in the UK. This document reports the findings of that study. The intent is to illustrate what equipment and methods are available and offer a general insight into their capability and limitations. This may assist in determining what equipment or methods may best suit a company’s needs based on a suitable assessment of risks to health and safety and taking into account the environment in which the equipment is to be used and relevant economic factors. This does not detract from the need to comply with current legislation.