Number of crash accidents remains high
Falling from heights is one of the greatest accident hazards on construction sites and in industry and commerce. Every year, more than 10,000 people fall from heights at work in Suva-insured companies, according to the accident insurer. Compared to other types of accidents, they are more likely to suffer serious or even fatal injuries. Therefore: Follow the vital rules of Suva.
Last year, several serious and fatal accidents occurred in which people fell through fiber-cement roofs, Suva said. What is often underestimated: Falls from lower heights can also have dramatic consequences. According to the accident insurer, of the 5,500 occupational accidents involving ladders that occur annually in Suva-insured companies, nearly 100 result in disability. Three of these are fatal.
"Almost one in three occupational accidents that result in permanent damage or death is a fall accident," says André Meier, head of the occupational safety and health department at Suva. That's why adherence to life-saving rules is so important. According to Meier, this is how two-thirds of all serious and fatal accidents can be avoided. Knowledge of these rules is available, but a sustainable culture of prevention is sometimes lacking in companies, he says. "In a functioning prevention culture, all employees take their responsibility for safe and healthy work seriously and have the courage to say stop when danger arises," emphasizes André Meier. Only when the danger has been eliminated should work continue.
Suva supports companies in developing a culture of prevention and has various Information resources and Prevention modules on the topics of occupational safety and health protection on offer. (pd)
