During the October meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Working at Height, attendees heard about how digital technology can help to improve the safety for those working at height.  

The speakers included various members of the Access Industry Forum who all spoke of work that their organisations were doing to make the working at height sector safer with the help of innovative technology. These included representatives from the Prefabricated Access Supplies and Manufacturers Association (PASMA), the Ladder Association, the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training (FASET), the Specialist Access Engineering & Maintenance Association (SAEMA) and the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC). Also in attendance was Councillor Fraser Tinsley who, as a chartered town planner and the former vice-chair of planning for Durham County Council, was able to give insight into the planning sector and how it could better adapt to utilise technology to further improve safety.

The presentation focussed on the work that each organisation from the Access Industry Forum was doing to utilise technology to reduce the number of accidents that take place during working at height. The solutions discussed ranged from online training courses, making learning more accessible for those with different learning needs and ensuring it was easier for individuals to keep up to date with safety training, to virtual reality headsets, which allow individuals to learn through practical tasks without the risk of injury as real equipment is not being used. Other technology that was discussed included mobile apps which offered safety updates in real time and to workers on site as well as those that stored an individual’s training history so that it was simpler to check everyone working on a project was suitably trained for the role.

The meeting was well attended, with all attendees engaged on the topic including the Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP who asked about the accessibility of all the technologies discussed for businesses across the sector.

If you would like more information about the APPG, please visit its website.