Falls From Height

Safety Campaign 2025 – Thursday 23rd October

Construction Safety Episode 5: Falls from Height

 

In Episode 5 of the CIF Construction Safety Campaign 2025 podcast, Sean Downey, Director of Safety, Education & Training, joins Shannen Malone, EHS Advisor, Suir Engineering, on-site at the solar farm project in Westmeath.

Watch the episode below.

Key messaging from HSA

Working at Height continues to be the greatest causal factor for fatalities and serious injury in construction, predominantly from relatively low heights (2-3 metres above ground level). All work at height must be adequately planned, risk assessed and organised to avoid, or at least reduce, risks as low as reasonably practicable. The key messaging from the Health and Safety Authority for Work at Height is to:

  • Carry out risk assessments for work at height activities and make sure that all work is planned, organised, and carried out by a competent person.
  • Follow the ‘General Principles of Prevention’ for managing risks from work at height, taking steps to avoid, prevent or reduce risks.
  • Chose appropriate work equipment and prioritise collective measures to prevent falls (such as guard rails and working platforms) before other measures which may only reduce the distance and consequences of a fall (such as nets or airbags) or may only provide fall-arrest through personal protection equipment.

The HSA affords access to a wealth of information on its webpage: https://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Work_at_Height/

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IPAF toolbox talks

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) is a not-for-profit organisation that endeavours to promote and enable the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide in the widest sense – through providing technical advice and information and training programmes.

A wide range of toolbox talks and other guidance for Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) and other powered access equipment are available through the resource library.

Construction Safety Campaign Podcast 2025

Listen to the full series on Spotify

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