A trio of HSE incident reports since the start of April have highlighted the need for edge protection to protect passers-by, and safety ladders to provide safe access to elevated positions.
In terms of safety ladders, two incidents involved workers falling from ladders; in the first, a Stockport man was installing an alarm system when his ladder slipped.
He leapt to the ground but fractured his heel on landing, leaving him unable to work for six months.
The second incident saw an unnamed Greenwich worker suffer a broken arm and pelvis after falling from a ladder while working on a scrolling billboard.
Both companies involved in the incidents were prosecuted by the HSE and fined.
Meanwhile, in Liverpool, a property developer was fined £7,000 with nearly £1,500 of costs, although no incident actually occurred that caused any injury.
Rather, witnesses reported work done on a tower platform with no edge protection in place, putting members of the public at risk when they passed beneath.
Once again, this serves as a timely reminder that health and safety is about preventing incidents – including eliminating dangerous practices even before an incident occurs.