Madrid, October 25, 2023.-
One in every nine fatal work accidents in Spain is due to falls from height, according to 2022 figures collected by the Work Accident Statistics (EAT) of the Ministry of Labor. Or, what is the same: last year in our country there was a fatal work accident due to a fall from a height every five days
The figures are terrifying. And even more so when, as stated by Stefano Montaldo, Business Development Director at Kee Safety Ltd., a world leader in products, services and training for fall protection and safe access that currently operates in more than 60 countries around the world, ” The vast majority of these falls with a tragic ending could have been easily avoided by the simple and effective installation of the appropriate safety measures that would have enabled the workers to work safely.” A high percentage of these falls from height take place from fragile roofs that They are, according to the Technical Building Code (CTE), those whose weight does not exceed 100 kg. per m2 (including the weight of the main structure and purlins, the covering material and the weight of the insulation and waterproofing). In general, its covering material is usually glass, fiber cement, uralite, some corrugated sheets, slate or tiles, and the fatal accident occurs when the workers access it, breaking because they cannot support its weight.” Before undertaking any type of maintenance work on the roof of any building or proceeding to install solar panels, which are so in vogue right now, or removing asbestos,” warns Montaldo, “it is essential to identify the type of roof in question. In each case, carry out an exhaustive evaluation of the conditions in which it is located and install and/or facilitate workers to use the appropriate safety measures that allow them to carry out their work minimizing the risk as much as possible. Fragile covers are not designed to support the weight of a person, but they require, like any other type of roof, maintenance. Therefore, it is essential that workers who carry out any type of work on them do so with all guarantees. “The main safety solutions required for work on fragile roofs are fundamentally protective railings, safety walkways, lifelines, work platforms or mobile walkers, putting collective measures before individual measures in accordance with current legislation. For Kee Safety, specialists in the manufacture of components for the construction of safety barriers for more than 80 years, the safety of workers is not a negotiable factor, but a precondition that is essential to guarantee before undertaking any task. And he remembers that the ultimate responsibility in the event of an accident falls on the shoulders of the end client, whether it is a company, a community of owners or a private individual, with financial penalties, in addition, that can exceed 600,000 euros.
Contact Contact name: Stefano Montaldo Contact description: Business Development Director of Kee Safety Ltd. Contact telephone number: 673 87 82 61
