The Netherlands has more and more high-rise buildings. The pressure on the available space is increasing with the result that buildings are being built higher and higher. A challenge for many companies because it creates increasingly complex issues and greater business risks. This is also apparent from the figures; at the time of writing, every month there are no fewer than 557 serious and two fatal accidents related to working at height. This makes it the leading cause of death at work and one of the most important points of attention for employers. The Labor Inspectorate is also active in this regard and ensures that the laws and regulations are complied with. Enforcement is becoming increasingly strict and violations are a criminal offense and the employer can also be held liable in the event of accidents. So make sure you keep the security risks to a minimum.
The approach
A corollary of the RI&E and the accompanying Plan of Action is that one must be demonstrably competent in the safety solutions; the processes, systems and (P)BMs. How do you ensure that your employees are competent? There is only one way to do this, namely by following the right education and training. Today's challenges require a specialist approach. An approach in which trainers are well aware of the laws and regulations, know the specific working conditions and have extensive knowledge and experience regarding the additional risks. Based on the central question: how do you, as an employer, ensure that the safety of employees is guaranteed? Now and in the future.
The solution: job-specific training courses
Working on an oil rig, inspections on a high telecom mast or working in places that are difficult to access such as wind turbines all require a different approach. For example, how can employees optimally prepare for a fire in a wind turbine in a place where they have all the space they need? And how do employees learn to use their fall arrest harness properly if it is not the same as the one they work in? Standard courses fall short of these specific challenges. The solution lies in job-specific training.
Maximum results
We have jointly designed job-specific training courses for various clients on the basis of the RI&E results and the accompanying Plan of Action. The employees follow training courses with the resources they actually use and in conditions that simulate practice as closely as possible. We train the employees in the clothing and equipment in which they work. Our trainers do this, for example, on the same ladder that the staff has to deal with in the areas where they work. The employees are introduced to the applicable procedures and working methods and they learn to deal with the risks they encounter every day. We see that this way of training, in a safe and controlled environment with experienced instructors, yields maximum results.
Safety always first
The numbers don't lie. It is about time to act because the consequences are huge if things go wrong. Thanks to the use of the right safety systems, personal protective equipment in combination with thorough training, working at height has become considerably safer in recent years. But we're not there yet. It is and remains essential when working at different heights that the knowledge and skills are structurally kept up-to-date, so that everyone knows exactly what to do when it comes down to it. Our advice: discuss your work-specific circumstances with your training provider.
Be critical and ensure that safety measures really contribute to safety in the workplace!