Each year in the air transport and aviation industry, HSE receives reports of employees injuring themselves after failing from a height. Many of major injuries occur during:
- aircraft maintenance;
- getting in or out of aircraft;
- working on or from service equipment such as belt loaders, catering high loaders etc.
General precautions to reduce the risk of a fall
These simple measures should help to reduce the risk of a fall.
- Where possible, avoid work at height.
- Provide working platforms with suitable edge protection.
- Ensure that any adjustable edge protection has been properly set.
- Provide suitable edge protection or keep shut any openings in the aircraft fuselage (eg doors).
- Make sure that the access equipment used is stable.
- Maintain the access equipment.
- Train the people using the access equipment to use it in a safe and proper manner.
- Monitor the people undertaking the work to ensure that they follow your procedures in a safe manner.
Case Study – Virgin Atlantic – Maintenance Steps
This case study is provided by Virgin Atlantic[1] on aircraft maintenance steps. The company identified that a number of accidents happened when using maintenance steps. By working with a manufacturer they have greatly improved the design and safety features to the steps.