Heights, Still Tradies Biggest Threat
Working at Heights
Whether it’s a death, total and permanent disability, income protection, personal injury claim, worker to worker injury claim or third-party property claim, height is still a Tradies biggest threat.
Safety regulators Australia wide have warned and educated but tradies and workers are still being injured or killed and property is being damaged.
Not just in the construction
It’s not just in the construction industry, its cleaners, electrical workers, plumbing, gas fitting, glazing, tree felling, solar and insulation installation, pest control, handyman work, heating and cooling work and it most often on or in the roof.
Many claims are the result of working on roofs without effective control measure.
Before climbing
Before climbing on a roof;
- Look at the age of the structure
- Consider the condition of the structure
- What type of material is it (Asbestos, fibro etc.)?
- Where are the important services (power etc.)?
- Consider environmental factors on the day (wind rain and electrical storms)
- Angle and pitch of the roof.
- The presence of moss, contamination and other external factors
- Consider Ladder Safety procedures
- Does it require perimeter guards or edge protection or harness protection?
Complacency at Heights
Complacency is another threat to personnel working at heights, when workers are used to working at heights they often forget the basic, this can result in dropping of tools resulting in property damage or injury. When working at heights, it doesn’t hurt to ask “what if”
Get Appropriate Insurance Cover
Protect you and your workers income
Cover yourself as the self employed tradie with income protection insurance, cover your workers with your States appropriate workers compensation policy and insist that sub-contractors and workers have their income protection insurance.
Protect Property
Make sure you have public liability insurance cover, and that it does not exclude working at heights, and check the asbestos exclusions if the roof contains it.
Make sure your sub-contractors have their own cover and check with your broker to make sure that if they cause injury or property damage that your exposure will be covered.
Any advice that may have been given is general advice only, please be aware that we have not taken into consideration your needs, objectives or financial requirements. Before deciding to purchase a financial product you should consider the appropriate Product Disclosure Statement to ensure the product is suitable for your needs.
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