Guardrails and other forms of edge protection are likely to feature high on the agenda at an upcoming RoSPA safety conference in Birmingham.
No Room for Complacency is scheduled for March 27th at Maple House, and as usual when discussing construction safety, working at height is a key issue.
RoSPA’s figures show that, in 2011-12, there were 49 fatalities due to injuries sustained during construction work, falling to 39 fatalities in 2012-13.
But a total of 70,000 individuals are currently ill or injured due to construction workplace incidents.
Karen McDonnell, occupational safety and health policy adviser at RoSPA, says: “It remains the UK’s most dangerous sector to work in. This is why there is no room for complacency.”
Sessions at the conference include a look at innovative safety solutions for working at height – which is where edge protection and guardrails are likely to feature.
And there is also the opportunity to find out more about one of the most extreme examples of working at height in recent years.
That is because Tony Palgrave, project director at construction company Mace Group, will be there to discuss the challenges faced during the building of The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe.