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Co-ord member Derek Maylor writes: The Co-ord were represented at the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height at Portcullis House on 28 March 2023 which highlighted the issues of Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and implications for Working at Height Regulations (WaHRs). The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height brings together MPs and Peers with Government, industry leaders, trade associations and unions to raise awareness of the risks of working at height. Falls from height and falling objects from height account for the highest number of preventable fatalities and injuries across all sectors in UK industry. The Group’s aim is to understand the root causes and propose effective, sensible measures to reduce this toll and send people safely home from work. It’s an old piece of advice but if people want to influence government decision on WaHRs they must contact their MPs.
Importantly the value to workers safety of the WaHRs does not stand alone, there is little point in keeping these regulations if we lose others that influences them such as PPE (Personal protective equipment (PPE) at work regulations 2022), LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998), CDM (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015) and so on. Drop or weaken any workplace safety regulation and others will follow like a pack of cards. So, you could contact your MP on any workplace safety legislation related concern you have that will be affected by the Retained EU (Revocation and Reform) Law Bill. How to find your MP using your postcode: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP Below is an example text you can use to raise the issues with your MP. You can download the letter in Word format by clicking on the image below:
I am writing as a constituent of yours to express serious concerns about the above noted legislation and the impact it will have on working at height in the UK. I believe that there is clear and compelling evidence to retain the Work at Height Regulations (WaHR) 2005, that not doing so will cost lives and lead to life changing injures affecting individuals and families across the UK. Falls from height remain one of the common causes of workplace fatality and serious injury despite the tremendous efforts of industry organisations and trade unions over the since the WaHR legislation was enacted. The removal or lessening of this Act would have an adverse effect on workplace safety. Whilst fatalities from falls have dropped from a pre-Act 2004 figure of sixty-seven there were still twenty-nine fatalities from falls last year. Clearly the Act made the UK a safer place to work and not to assimilate these regulations into UK legislation would put workplace safety backwards causing suffering to workers and families whilst costing the UK economy millions of pounds to the NHS. The removal of the Work at Height Regulations (WaHR) 2005 (and other workplace safety legislation) has the potential to cause great harm to workers in the UK including our shared Parliamentary constituency. I would therefore be grateful if you would contact the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy requesting a firm commitment from the Government that these vital Work at Height Regulations will be assimilated into UK legislation to protect the thousands of our men and women who work at height throughout the UK. Yours sincerely, See also: https://accessindustryforum.org.uk/2022/12/01/work-at-height-regulations-at-risk-of-repeal/
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