Power company puts plans in place to remind staff that simple jobs at home require the same due care and attention as those undertaken in the workplace.
“Safety is 24-7”, said Neil Clarke after he fell from a ladder at his Cheshunt home.
Neil is the Head of Highway Services and Disconnections at UK Power Networks, the UK’s biggest electricity distributor, which has recently urged workers to view take their workplace safety procedures home with them.
Following the fall, Neil commended the company’s workplace safety culture and wishes that he had paid more attention to some of those procedures when undertaking a seemingly simple job at home.
“The ladder wobbled, and I took the decision to jump clear from it. It was a decision I thought was right at the time but can now see was not. It should have been a two-person job with somebody holding the ladder,” said Neil.
The 50-year old spent 23 nights in hospital recovering from nine broken ribs as well as a punctured and collapsed lung.
Remembering the consequences of the incident, Neil highlighted that “people don’t think about the consequences an accident can have on you and your family. An accident that, with hindsight, could have been avoided will live with me forever and the impact on others is massive.”
“Over two stays I required 23 nights in hospital and even when I returned home, I was in a room with 28 different types of medication. What people don’t see is the mental side of it, I hit rock bottom and was helped by the support of my family, friends and work colleagues.”
To prevent further accidents like this happening, UK Power Networks is encouraging more than 6,000 members of staff to practice workplace safety procedures at home whilst doing things such as DIY or gardening.
UK Power Networks has an exemplary safety record; a product of its strict procedures and staff awareness programs. Only one employee has had to take time off due to injury in the workplace, so far in 2019.
However, in the last few months two employees have been off work after injuring themselves falling off ladders whilst working at home.
Emma Palmer, who heads the safety engagement team at UK Power Networks, said: “We want our colleagues who stay safe at work to guard against any possible complacency at home because accidents can happen just as easily at home.
“Our staff have made a fantastic contribution to the development of an outstanding safety culture in the workplace, so we are urging them to apply the same principles while on time off. We want our teams to stay safe by choice, not by chance.”
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“Safety is 24-7”, said Neil Clarke after he 