Securing industrial workspaces

Working at heights has a high percentage of accidents: the classic example is construction sites, but the roofs of buildings and other production spaces, such as warehouses, silos or tanks which must be accessed by ladders and walkways, as well as maintenance work and any internal or external environment or work area which involves a possible risk of falling from a height, are not exempt.

A similar situation is also found in all internal environments that delimit production areas, where special machinery, systems, and walkways are used.

In this type of work and space, "falling from a height" represents the primary risk of injury and death, although it is not the only one. But what exactly is meant by "falling from a height"? The Consolidated Law on Health and Safety at Work (Legislative Decree 81/2008) identifies it in Article 107 as "work activities that expose the worker to the risk of falling from a height greater than 2 meters above a stable surface," thus outlining a definition that can be applied to a wide variety of situations. Therefore, it is all the more important to prevent and secure all risk areas, keeping in mind that the responsibility lies with the employer as well as the property owner.