Despite the huge progress which has been made in worker safety standards and practice across the UK construction industry over recent decades, falls from height continue to pose the biggest risk in terms of injury or worse.
According to HSE figures, falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK, with 29 deaths recorded in 2021-22, while the 35,000 non-fatal falls contributed significantly to a total of 3.9m workdays lost overall due to accidents.
The ongoing risk has prompted SFS, one of the largest manufacturers of safety equipment, to launch a new initiative intended to maximise the protection of contractors.
Improving awareness of fall protection
The SFS Fall Protection Installer Network has been created to provide a platform dedicated to advancing competency and awareness for companies and their individual operatives. Full details can be found on the SFS website here: SFS Installer Network | SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd.
“Through the launch of the Installer Network, we are opening doors to a future-focused environment which supports installers not just in their ongoing work but in their continuing development as responsible practitioners,” said James Gooder, SFS’s business unit manager of Fall Protection.
“By working closely with trusted third-party partners, we will ensure the delivery of independent training that is adaptable to different levels of skill, knowledge and experience. As an innovative manufacturer, SFS is committed to driving positive change by raising the bar of excellence. Our key aim is to empower each member of the network to deliver exceptional outcomes and drive behavioural change across the fall protection industry,” he continued.
Providing on-site support for construction companies
As well as continued access to free-of-charge SFS fall protection systems training, membership of the Fall Protection Installer Network offers increased on-site technical and logistical support and the opportunity to help shape the direction of future product development through the SFS Collaboration Lab.
Members will further be able to promote their businesses by using the Installer Network’s logo and the publication of dual-branded case studies while receiving quality business leads via the SFS specification pipeline.
For any businesses wanting to learn more about the Fall Protection Installer Network, SFS has produced a comprehensive and well-illustrated brochure giving full details of the scheme, the issues involved, and the remedies. Download the brochure from the website Installer Network – Brochure – Digital.pdf (sfs.com)
For further information, call 0330 0555888 or visit https://uk.sfs.com/
