When working at height, the priority is ensuring the safety of yourself, the general public or others working on platforms. According to the Health & Safety Executive, 'Working at height remains one of the major causes of fatalities or major injury'. (HSE, 2018)
Ensuring you have qualified and competent tradesmen to erect safe scaffolding structures is a priority for companies and homeowners requiring structures when working at height. Total Scaffold Access have a team of highly experienced and competent (CISRS) scaffolders covering Glasgow and West Central Scotland that are all highly trained in erecting various types of scaffolding structures, guaranteeing the safety of those using the structures, the general public and protecting the integrity of the building.
There have been catastrophic consequences for businesses that attempt to save costs by building their own scaffolding structures, or attempting to work from height using unsafe access such as ladders. The risks are high for the businesses reputation, but more importantly poor decisions or cost saving exercises can cost lives.
Total Scaffold Access ensure a member of our team visits every site to assess the materials required for each job and the most suitable design to allow safe access to carry out works. We can speak with you to discuss your requirements and based on your needs, we will endeavour to offer you the most suitable scaffolding design, and provide a competitive cost. We also prepare method statements and risk assessments as standard for works we carry out. Before we start work on site, we carry out another site survey to assess any risks and make adjustments as necessary before commencing work. When the structure is erected, a team member regularly carries out safety checks of the scaffolding structure and places scaff tags on the structure to advise the structure is safe to work on. Any noted faults are recorded and adjustments are carried out as a priority to ensure the continued integrity of our structures.
The Health & Safety Regulations offer the following advice for anyone planning on working at height:
DOs & DONTs OF WORKING AT HEIGHT
DO
as much work as possible from the ground
ensure workers can get safely to and from where they work at height
ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job and maintained and checked regularly
take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces
provide protection from falling objects
consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures
DONT
overload ladders – consider the equipment or materials workers are carrying before working at height. Check the pictogram or label on the ladder for information
overreach on ladders or stepladders
rest a ladder against weak upper surfaces, eg glazing or plastic gutters
use ladders or stepladders for strenuous or heavy tasks, only use them for light work of short duration (a maximum of 30 minutes at a time)
let anyone who is not competent (who doesn’t have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job) work at height
Total Scaffolding Access offer scaffolding in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and the west of Scotland. We offer professional, reliable and competitive scaffolding services for all our clients.
Contact us today to speak to one of our team.
