Accidents happen in every walk of life and often, are down to lack of concentration or simple carelessness but accidents in workplace safety can happen because equipment is not safe to use or a risk assessment hasn’t taken place.

In all types of workplaces, there are different types of equipment and machinery that we use to carry out everyday tasks. All work equipment has the potential to cause problems in the workplace, so you need to ensure that it remains safe to use and that you’re not putting employees at risk.

The construction industry accounts for over 3 million jobs – working out at 10% of total UK employment. Due to the nature of the work, it’s one of the UK’s most dangerous job roles with workers being exposed to a higher risk of falls, machinery malfunctions, electrocution, falling objects, and structural collapses – just to name a few.

Construction workers rely on their tools to work efficiently and get jobs done. If their tools are unsafe or broken, there are higher risks of serious accidents. Equipment should regularly be inspected to ensure there are no equipment malfunctions or defects. It is both the responsibility of the worker and the employer to highlight issues with defective equipment.

What Can I do to improve Workplace safety?

There are a number of measures you can take to ensure that risks created by work equipment are eliminated or controlled, including:

• Selecting suitable equipment and maintaining it properly;
• Inspecting it at suitable intervals if wear and tear might compromise safety;
• Carrying out a risk assessment to identify any risks presented by work equipment;
• Following the manufacturers’ instructions for use and maintenance;

It’s extremely important to make sure that all equipment is inspected regularly. In most cases, a daily check should be carried out.

As an employee you can reduce the risk of accidents by reporting any faulty equipment or machinery as soon as possible. Make sure equipment that you are using is in good condition and well-looked-after.

Having regular inspection/maintenance on your SPS system also increases the life of the system and saves you money, instead of discarding the system and purchasing a new one at the next site as the costs to reinstate are lower than buying a brand new one. It also helps you combat the amount of waste in construction therefore benefiting the environment.

At Oxford Safety, we visit sites and carry out an inspection on the system and report to the customer the condition of the system and advise on any service requirements if needed to bring the system back into safe use.
For more information about Oxford Safety Stairwell Platform System and the maintenance services please call us on 01869 323282 or email sales@oxfordsafety.com