Walkovers can help ensure safety when two of the biggest construction health risks are combined – working at height and asbestos.
Both have been high on the HSE hit list for many years, as falls from height are a major cause of injury and fatality, while asbestos exposure can have long-term health consequences.
Now small construction firms across Lancashire are being approached by the HSE at workshops designed to highlight the kinds of circumstances in which asbestos might be encountered.
HSE principal inspector Dorothy Shaw said: “A very wide range of workers could potentially come into contact with asbestos – ranging from traditional construction trades to the installation of telecommunications and computer equipment or shop fitting.”
One perilous situation involves work on asbestos cement roofs, which not only contain the hazardous material, but may also be extremely fragile.
Walkovers can span these fragile areas, providing safe access to them for maintenance, or to pass across them to other parts of the roof.
And by eliminating the risk of falling through the fragile material, they can also ensure asbestos fibres are not released into the air, putting at risk not only those working on the roof, but anyone in the surrounding area too.