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October 2, 2020

Height Safety: Its Importance Within the Commercial Construction Industry

Construction worker securing height safety harness on scaffolding and guardrail.

Construction worker securing height safety harness on scaffolding, ensuring safe work practices.A new commercial build is a major undertaking, and site safety considerations must be observed from the outset. Whether you are Contract Administrators and Estimators; Site and Project Managers; or Contractors and Workers: all parties must be assured that they are working with the right height and roof safety specialist throughout all stages of the design and building process. This is the only way to guarantee the safest possible worksite that complies with both local and federal legislation and protects its workers and visitors.

As such, complying with safe work practices for working at heights in Australia and New Zealand is an essential aspect of the design process, especially for new commercial constructions, and this must be considered upfront.

Height Safety – Why it’s Critical on Commercial Construction Sites

According to Safe Work Australia, falling from heights represents the third-largest contributor to workplace injuries and fatalities. Construction companies and contractors commit their employees to working at height, and this essential aspect of the commercial construction process is fraught with risk to workers – from exposed edges to fragile surfaces and weather-related implications. The implementation of correct height safety systems and protection is imperative.

Eliminating hazards at the planning/design stage of the construction process is simpler and more affordable than implementing changes at a later stage, especially after hazards become an issue.

Design Considerations for Height Safety

Height safety and access must be a primary consideration from the design stage of new constructions. Implementing height safety practices from the outset of this stage ensures that the best, most suitable and efficient system is administered for the project. To guarantee the best outcome for the duration of the construction process, the safety system must be designed upfront as an intrinsic part of the overall design process.

Safe design benefits include:

  1. Prevention of incident/accident leading to injury or death
  2. Improved usability of worksite structures
  3. Reduced overall costs
  4. Increased productivity
  5. Enhanced management of a build
  6. Innovation in design

The safe design incorporates the plan itself, its purpose, materials, construction methodology, and compliance with applicable legislation.

Legal Requirements for Height Safety

Throughout Australia and New Zealand, compliance with height safety regulations is a legal requirement. All construction companies must, by law, design, implement, and apply safe work practices as they pertain to working at heights.

Benefits of Working with RISsafety

RISSafety is a leading industry manufacturer and installer of roof walkway systems and other height safety products, from static lines to aluminium handrails, ladder systems, stairs, platforms, safety nets, Davit arms, PPE, and much more.

We offer the full service from start to finish for your project, so it is a one stop height safety solution:

  1. Safety access system design
  2. Specialised fabrication and engineering (with our own internal fabrication workshop)
  3. Height safety system installation and
  4. Certification
  5. Annual site inspections and certification (ongoing if needed on project completion)

Our unparalleled products and services help you attain the peace of mind that you and your workers deserve: that you are providing a construction site that is as safe as possible in terms of height safety and that you are compliant with the law when it comes to roof safety systems.  Risk mitigation is the safest and best way to help ensure that you prevent serious falls, injuries, and fatalities on your worksite. This is what we deliver.

Why Choose Us?

  1. Your One-Stop Height Safety Provider: a majority of construction companies prefer to work with a single provider, to oversee the height safety process from design to installation to certification to ensure the system meets the code and comes in on or under budget.
  2. Unsurpassed Quality: construction companies deserve the utmost confidence that the height safety provider they select delivers in terms of quality. RISSafety is unsurpassed when it comes to our level of quality in both service and products – right from our design drawings (a service a lot of other providers don’t deliver) to our end product.
  3. Affordability: pricing is a key driver for construction companies. RISSafety understands the importance of deliverability on time and under budget but without compromising on quality.
  4. Industry Reputation: in the construction and height safety industry, reputation is key. Premium construction companies seek to work with height safety providers that demonstrate leadership and also make their job easier. RISSafety is an industry expert and leader for height and roof safety on new commercial construction sites. There is no better height safety specialist in Australia or New Zealand for large commercial .

RISSafety has the industry experience and insight to meet all of your working at heights safety requirements.  From design and fabrication to installation, training, and compliance inspections, we have everything you need for your ideal roof safety system from Sydney to Perth and NZ, from roof anchor points to aluminium hand rails and everything in between.

Contact us today to discover how working with us will enable you to meet your obligations for workplace height safety.

 

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