Peter Bennett OBE talks on The Roofing Show

Our Executive Director, Peter Bennett OBE, was a guest recently on Fix Radio’s ‘The Roofing Show’ podcast with Danny Madden, alongside Alistair Kerr (Annandale Roofing) on the topic of Falls from Height.

Danny, Fix Radio’s ‘Roofer of the Year 2022’ and a third-generation roofer, was brave enough to admit he’s had his ‘fair share of injuries’, some of which resulted from a fall from height. It goes to prove the point…if it can happen to him, who by all rights is pretty clued up on health and safety, it can happen to anyone!

But why?

One word that came up time and time again during the podcast was ‘complacency’, especially when tradespeople are keen to ‘get the job done’.

Peter raised the real issue about ladders appearing so simple to use that they’re almost taken for granted, and as a result, some people find it unimaginable that you would need training to use them. He talked about the importance of training in helping people understand when it’s right to use a ladder (and most importantly, when it’s not!), and in choosing the right ladder for the job.

While we certainly wouldn’t advocate Danny’s light-hearted comment at the end about looking for a nearby bush to break your fall from a ladder (please never do that!), we were very much in agreement that everyone who works at height should go home safely at the end of each shift.

Listen now (Peter joins at 12mins) >>