[DASERVICES]

Didn't know HSE were now enforcing Work At Height :

www.hse.gov.uk/notices/default.asp

[Jeff Brimble]

Interesting link but no detail about our trade ?

[Chris Galloway]

Problem with the HSE is they are far to few to go around checking everyone in every trade!

Now in countires like Spain i think someone told me, you would get a visit from them every year no matter what you trade as.

They will only visit the big factories and the like here. They will only get involved if they has been a accident which breeches H&S in the workplace severely enough to warrant them to visit.

[DASERVICES]

Jeff,

There is but I think a few are on here so it would not be fair for me to show the cases.

Just use the search button and you will find a few interesting cases which I would not have thought they would be checking. For instance the state of your ladders!!!

[Carey Ward]

Interesting link but I think you have got the wrong end of the stick.  This is not the H&SE enforcing working at height rules.  These are cases in which the H&SE have visited site, either through routine inspection or by someone reporting to them the unsafe practices being carried out.  They have then observed the bad working practice and either issued an improvement notice whereby the employer must be seen to improve the working practice or stopped the work altogether as either the worker or general public is at risk due to dangerous working practice. 

It is common sense not to use unsuitable, old, faulty, damaged equipment - as in too short a ladder (one of the prohibition notices on a window cleaning company was that the operative was using too short a pointer (which was also a wooden one which was damaged) and having to over stretch and rest foot on window ledge in order to complete his task. 

The H&SE are there for your benefit not just to prosecute you, so if you use safe working practices and ensure the equipment you use is of a trade standard fit for the use you are putting it to you are not going to draw  H&SE's attention

[baldeagle]

Two or three years ago, I had an informal chat with an off-duty HSE inspector.

She told me that if a Window Cleaner had a serious incident involving a ladder, then they might have to get involved, but as far as she knew, the WAHR 2005 was not really intended to be used to "bash" one-man operators, and she, and her colleagues  relied on us using our common sense, and keeping "out of mischief", as she put it.

Baldeagle