WORKPLACE equipment supplier Slingsby is again supporting this year’s ‘Ladder Exchange Initiative’, which offers substantial discounts on new ladders that are part exchanged for damaged ones. This comes after recent figures revealed the number of fatal injuries in British workplaces is no longer in decline and that falls from height remain the main cause of these accidents.
Figures from The Health & Safety Executive show 173 workers were killed in 2011/12 which is just two less than the 175 recorded in 2010/11. This is a large increase from the lowest ever figure of 147 deaths in 2009/10. More than half of all fatal accidents are caused by falls from height.
The Ladder Exchange Initiative, which is organised by The Ladder Association, runs until 30th November 2012 and offers customers big savings on Slingsby’s extensive range of ladders and access solutions when they hand over ladders that are unsafe, broken or damaged. The scheme is now in its sixth year and since its launch it has been responsible for removing over 10,000 broken, bent or damaged ladders from UK workplaces.
Lee Wright, Marketing Director of Slingsby, which supplies more than 35,000 workplace products, explains: Although the number of workplace fatalities in the UK has halved in the last 20 years it is worrying that the reductions have ground to a halt in the last couple of years. Hopefully the Ladder Exchange Initiative can help to tackle this problem because there are still far too many accidents and thousands of injuries every year caused by falls from height and this is a risk that workers across all industries can face. Even workers that are simply using step ladders to access high shelves or change light bulbs can end up having accidents.
Lee adds: -Although ladders are a familiar piece of equipment they can be extremely dangerous if they’re not used properly. Plus nowadays there are new products coming out all the time to help prevent these injuries.
Recently we have seen some major developments in equipment such as new anti-slip anchor points, advanced locking systems on ladders, swivel feet that adjust to suit the type of surface you’re using the ladder on and there’s a huge range of access platforms available for all types of tricky areas so there really are no excuses for safety lapses when it comes to ladders.
For further information on Slingsby and the Ladder Exchange Initiative visit www.slingsby.com/t-ladderexchange.aspx
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