Health and Safety Requirements

Catchfall - On-site fall arrest system for vehicles

Who is legally responsible for preventing falls?

» Haulage Companies?

» Sub-Contractors?

» Main Contractor?

Every year around 2,000 drivers and workers are seriously injured in falls from vehicles

Only the main contractor can realistically plan and organise a consistently high level of protection on construction sites as different vehicles visit the site, and different sub-contractors work on the site.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 applies to all work at height where there is risk of fall liable to cause personal injury. They place duty on employers, the self-employed and an person who controls the work of others.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are raising awareness of a specific area of falls from height relating to vehicles. This focuses on operatives involved with loading and unloading vehicles on Construction Sites. HSE Inspectors will be increasingly be looking to companies to comply with the law and provide measures to reduce risk of workers falling from vehicles.

» A high proportion of construction accidents occur on delivery vehicles usually on flat bed vehicles; usually on HGV's and flat bed vehicles.

The Law requires that people consider falls from any height where someone could be injured, including falls from trailers. HSE state that if you are in control of the work you must:

Plan to avoid work at height

Where you can't, make sure you use work equipment to prevent falls

» Lessen the effect of falls by using work equipment to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall- that protects the individual, eg a personal fall arrest system with the anchorage point sited above the head.
Source: HSE Information sheet WPT01 (extract)

After study into working practices with major construction companies and research into different systems, such as: vertical rails, tensioned restraint wires, ground bags and gantry based systems; Catchfall was developed to meet the following criteria:

» Site based to enable different hauliers to deliver with different vehicles

» Un-restricted loading: crane (above), forklift (side and rear) and using on-vehicle cranes and hoists

» Enable the operative free movement and reliable fall arrest at all points on vehicle trailer

» Provide fall arrest without reliance on vehicle or load type

» Increased flexibility and improved performance compared to other products

Catchfall ensures that provision has been made by duty holders to comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005

Download HSE Information Sheet WPT01 (68Kb)


	30 Years experience in Lifting and Handling			Project Part-Financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund				Safe Contractor Approved BS EN ISO 9001 2000 BSI Registered Company

Mercian Lifting Gear (UK) Ltd, Netherwood Road, Rotherwas Industrial Estate, Hereford, HR2 6JU
Telephone 01432 355272, Email: enquiries@catchfall.co.uk
Company Registration: 2774600; Registered for VAT.