In a crucial step toward enhancing workplace safety, MSA Safety brought together a diverse group of industry experts to address the stagnation in reducing workplace accidents and fatalities.
Credit: MSA Safety
Construction V-Gard H1, V-FIT Harness Application
Construction site with crane and scaffolding.
With Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Great Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, highlighting that UK statistics around fatal workplace accidents plateauing over the past decade, experts from fields including architecture, manufacturing, media, charities, and those who’ve experienced life-altering accidents, offered valuable insights to help improve safety practices across industry.
The discussion, focused on the risks of working at height, revealed that despite advances in technology and attitudes around safety, fatalities remain each year. In 2024 alone, 138 people lost their lives in workplace accidents, 36% of which were due to falls from height. The current figures on non-fatal accidents have remained consistent for years, the current rate being similar to 2018/19 levels, further underscoring the need for change.
Key takeaways from the discussion include the importance of clear communication, accessible safety education, and the need for comfortable, well-designed personal protective equipment (PPE) that workers are more likely to wear. The panel also identified barriers such as human nature, poor equipment design, and budget constraints that may often hinder safety improvement efforts.
Panel member Jason Anker, who has dedicated his life to safety advocacy after a life-changing fall, emphasised that a total safety culture must be ingrained at every level of the industry when it comes to working at height - from designers to contractors and to workers themselves.
Panellists agreed that engaging key stakeholders, improving PPE design, and making safety a priority from the beginning of a project are all critical steps in helping to foster a culture of safety.
The goal is clear: by driving communication, collaboration, and education, the industry can help reduce accidents and fatalities, ultimately creating a safe, resilient workforce.
To download the insights paper or watch the full panel discussion, visit www.msasafety.com/whitepaper-creating-safer-workplaces