TT Club seeks to mitigate a common cause of workplace injury

© Saklay Tawan

Falling from height is a leading cause of workplace fatalities and injuries. International freight transport and cargo handling insurance specialist TT Club is warning of this danger in the transport, port and logistics industries, environments in which, unfortunately elevated working locations are often unavoidable.

Continuing with its series of TT Briefs aimed at simplifying complex risk issues by providing easily digestible information and guidance, TT has published its latest Brief, ‘Understand and mitigate the risks of working at height.’ In such working environments that are common throughout the supply chain, prioritising safety is of the utmost importance to prevent accidents and injuries. In this Brief TT looks at the steps that should be taken to reduce such risk, ensure the safety of your workforce when working at height, avoid exposure to injury claims and safety prosecutions, and reputational damage.

The series was Introduced three years ago by the specialist liability insurer; a TT Brief* is a two-sided infographic-style advice sheet, each aimed at a specific risk.  It is designed to offer guidance on general good practice to avoid loss.  It also has the potential to act as a poster to be utilised in the workplace so as, always in plain sight, it is a constant reminder to both employees and management.

TT’s managing director, loss prevention Mike Yarwood pinpoints the relevance of the latest Brief, “Globally, there is no consistent regulation that outlines at which height a worker is considered to be at risk of serious injury should they fall. Therefore, simply complying with regulated safety provisions may not be enough to protect a workforce from potentially fatal accidents. Our advice therefore is a considered guideline on the minimum measures that employers, be they warehouse, port or terminal operators, road hauliers or other carriers, should put in place.”

Recognising the range of operational conditions across the transport and logistics industry, the advice raises a number of points to consider relating to infrastructure design and improved working practices.

Safe stowage of cargo at various points in the supply chain is also discussed, as is the use of technology such as drones to carry out inspections or stocktaking, and deployment of fall prevention platforms.  Not least, training programmes and the encouragement of a strong safety culture should be in place throughout any operation.

Yarwood concludes, “When promoting best practices in working environments that have similar physical characteristics but are spread throughout the world, we believe effective communication is paramount. TT is always concerned with delivering relevant insight, based on the experiences of its insured, to best assist operators in avoiding situations of maximum risk. ‘Understand and mitigate the risks of working at height’ represents that commitment to safety that TT has at its core.”

* TT brief: working at height (ttclub.com)