Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 12th June 2025 Issue no. 1166

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Work at height charity shines spotlight on height safety during No Falls Week 2025

The No Falls Foundation, the first and only UK-based charity for the work at height sector, is proud to be holding its annual 'No Falls Week' from 12th to 16th May, to promote safe working at height.

Following the success of its inaugural campaign last year, which saw almost 2,000 organisations sign up to take part, No Falls Week returns to raise awareness about the importance of safe working at height, prevent falls and ensure everyone that works at height comes down safely.

It is estimated over 1 million businesses, and 10 million workers, carry out work involving some form of working at height every year. No Falls Week provides the opportunity for organisations across all sectors to place a focus on work at height safety.

Falls from height are consistently the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the UK, with 50 people losing their lives at work due to a fall from height in 2023/20242. Latest figures from the Health & Safety Executive show that falls from height were responsible for 36% of all workplace deaths last year, up from 30% the year before (and 25% the year before that).

As awful as the fatality statistics are, there are an even greater number of non-fatal injuries resulting from a fall from height, with almost 5,000 people in Great Britain having been reported injured at work in 2023/244.

However, the No Falls Foundation knows there is substantial underreporting of non-fatal falls from height for all workers, particularly the self-employed, who were found to report just 12% of workplace incidents. According to the self-reported accidents from their preferred source, the Labour Force Survey, the HSE estimates the number of workplace falls from height over the last 10 years may be up to 425,0006.

Along with the lives, families and businesses affected by these accidents, up to 688,000 working days were lost through non-fatal falls from height in Great Britain in 2023/24 alone.

Not only that, the total cost of falls from height last year was estimated to be over £956 million, made up of costs to the employer and the individual, government tax losses and benefit payments.

"Everyone who needs to work at height should be able to work safely and return home unharmed at the end of every shift," argues Hannah Williams, charity manager at the No Falls Foundation. "Unlike most other types of workplace injuries, the consequences of a fall from height are usually life-changing for the person involved, with many unlikely to return to their previous occupation, as well as having long-term consequences for employers, colleagues and families.

"We were delighted with the participation in No Falls Week 2024, which saw almost 2,000 companies sign up and take practical steps to raise awareness of safe working at height. Whether you work in construction, manufacturing, agriculture or any other sector, No Falls Week is an opportunity for everyone to shine a spotlight onto the mental, physical, and societal consequences of working at height accidents.

"As well as hoping to build on the success of last year, 2025 sees the launch of the No Falls Foundation Conference and Charity Ball which takes place on Thursday 15th May, during No Falls Week. The Conference will be host to a range of expert speakers and is a great opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and practical takeaways on preventing falls."

Employers can sign up to get involved in the week-long campaign via the No Falls Week website, where there are a host of toolkits and resources from members of the Access Industry Forum (AIF) to help organisations plan activities during No Falls Week.

For further information and to sign up for No Falls Week, visit:

https://nofallsweek.org/get-involved/

For further information on the No Falls Foundation Conference and Charity Ball, visit:

https://ti.to/aims/no-falls-foundation-conference-charity-ball

15th May 2025