2021 at a glance

No Falls Foundation

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2021 at a glance

Despite the pandemic and constraints imposed by COVID-19, the charity remained proactive throughout 2021. In this article, we take a look back at the highlights from the past year.

  • Work continued apace on the development of the No Falls Charter;
  • The charity launched the No Falls Supporter Scheme;
  • PASMA, Ladder Association and CISRS became the Foundation’s first official Platinum Supporters;
  • WernerCo and LFI backed the work of the charity as Gold Supporters;
  • The Foundation extended its online Resource Hub with the publication of a Support Pack for victims of falls from height;
  • The charity continued to contribute to the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Working at Height;
  • The Foundation published six issues of SAVING LIVES and contributed a variety of articles to various trade and professional publications;
  • At the invitation of the organisers, the charity promoted height safety at The Health & Safety Event, Vertikal Days, the Safety in Construction Show, IPAF’s Elevation event and the NASC AGM.
  • The Foundation issued a nationwide invitation to victims of falls from height and their families to relate their personal stories;
  • Lawyer Steffan Groch and president of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), Clive Johnson, were appointed as trustees
Clive and Steffan
Clive Johnson (top) Steffan Groch (bottom)
Ray Cooke represents No Falls-Foundation-at Health and Safety Event 2021
Ray Cooke represents No Falls Foundation-at Health and Safety Event 2021
The APPG on Working at Height hears about the No Falls Charter
Support Pack
Support pack: what to do following a fall from height

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

Trustee invited to join the Scott Johnson Working Group

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Trustee invited to join the Scott Johnson Working Group
Ken Johnson
Ken Johnson

On 16 June 2012, Scott Johnson – the only son of the Foundation’s Ken Johnson – died during the construction of a temporary stage for a Radiohead concert at Downsview Park in Toronto. Following the coroner’s inquest on 10 April 2019 into his death as a result of the structure collapsing, the jury recommended that the Government of Ontario should:

“…establish a permanent working group in conjunction with representatives of the live entertainment industry and labour working in the industry, as well as Professional Engineers Ontario.  The working group should be funded by Ontario and develop and maintain a fully integrated and consistent approach to the processes involved in the live performance industry, including the construction and use of demountable event structures (also known as temporary performance stages).”

As a result of this recommendation, The Scott Johnson Working Group was established on 22 June 2021 and Ken Johnson – a former safety advisor to the NASC – has been invited to become a member of this working group.

Ken hopes that he can contribute to, and learn from, the work of the group over the next two years. The work is specific to temporary stages in the entertainment industry, but is still ‘temporary works’ where regulations, guidance and training will dominate.

Comments Ken: “The work of this important group will undoubtedly highlight issues that will help inform our own work at height industry. A number of significant errors were made – overloading, delays in submitting drawings, missing components, inadequate or no training, etc – all of which will be taken into account in the drafting of the final document.”

“We must literally get wise before the event, not after it, if we are to keep people safe and avoid similar tragedies in the future.”

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

No Falls Foundation appoints two new trustees

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We’ve appointed two new trustees!
Clive Johnson
Clive Johnson

We’re delighted to welcome Clive Johnson and Steffan Groch to our board of trustees.

Clive Johnson is Group Head of Health and Safety at Derwent London PLC and currently President of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). He sits on the Building Safety Committee of the Construction Industry Council and the Executive Committee of the Health in Construction Leadership Group.

Awarded the Freedom of the City of London for his work on health, safety and security, he was most recently asked by the Cabinet Office to be part of their Inclusive Economy Partnership Programme focusing on mental health.

Steffan Groch
Steffan Groch

Steffan Groch is a partner and Head of Regulatory, Compliance and Investigations at international law firm DWF Solicitors based in Manchester. A leading expert in the health and safety sector, he is a former chair of the Health & Safety Lawyer’s Association, the professional association for solicitors and barristers practicing in areas connected with health and safety.

Steffan was asked to contribute to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee on subjects such as sentencing guidelines, and is commended as ‘Best in UK’ in Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.

Charity manager, Hannah Williams, said: “We are delighted to welcome both Clive and Steffan to the charity. Their knowledge and breadth of experience in their respective fields will be invaluable to the future work of the Foundation.”

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

No Falls Foundation appoints Health & Safety Advisor

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We’ve appointed our first Health & Safety Advisor!
Ray Cooke, Health & Safety Advisor, No Falls Foundation

Following his retirement from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 30 September, we are delighted to announce that Ray Cooke has kindly agreed to serve as the No Falls Foundation’s first Health & Safety Advisor.

Ray joins us after 35 years with HSE, latterly as HM Principal Inspector and Head of the Construction Sector Regulatory Support Team in the Building Safety and Construction Division.

Joining HSE straight from university as a trainee inspector in 1985, Ray served in a number of increasingly senior positions in a variety of industry sectors, including shipbuilding, plastics, food, fairgrounds and, most recently, construction.

Appointed a Principal Inspector in 1999, his roles have included, amongst others, advocating the UK’s policy position in Brussels regarding ATEX, the European Directive for protecting people in potentially explosive atmospheres, running HSE’s Operational Construction Team in the West Midlands, and developing training courses for a postgraduate diploma for HSE inspectors in conjunction with the University of Warwick.

Since 2014 he has headed the HSE’s Regulatory Support Team helping and supporting inspectors and industry at large with guidance designed to ensure compliance with the law, including responsibility for HSE’s Working Well Together (WWT) campaign.

At the Foundation he will initially focus on securing support for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2019 inquiry report of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Working at Height, in particular the need for enhanced RIDDOR reporting and the appointment of an independent body for the confidential reporting of near misses.

Comments Ray: “I have spent my entire career helping keep people safe at work. By accepting this post I hope to apply my experience and expertise, not just on a local and regional level, but nationally to help reduce injuries and fatalities in the work at height sector.” 

Says Peter Bennett, chair of the trustees: “We are naturally delighted to have Ray as the Foundation’s first Health & Safety Advisor. His enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to height safety will undoubtedly prove invaluable to the future work of the charity”.

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

The story behind a fall from height statistic

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The story behind a fall from height statistic

Witnessing the aftermath of a fall:
a guest blog by Mumtaz Mahmood CMIOSH

It was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic so, like many people, I was working from home that Monday morning. I heard pandemonium outside and quickly ran down to check. A woman with a dog was screaming, “The man has fallen from the ladder!”

I saw a man who had landed on his head on the concrete. There was a large pool of blood. Distraught, I walked up to my neighbours’ house opposite. They are an elderly couple who were sitting on their low boundary wall, talking to the 999 operators. The casualty was still alive, taking very long erratic breaths but not conscious. He appeared to be in the recovery position.

Soon afterwards both police and ambulance arrived, and they quickly attended to him. A few moments later, I saw them carrying out CPR and this continued for quite a while. Within 30 minutes, I heard a helicopter land close by and four doctors and paramedics rushed to the scene. Unfortunately, a few minutes later, the man was declared dead.

I offered to bring my neighbour into my house as she was in a very distressed state. I made her a hot drink. She burst into tears and was in deep shock.

It was a very hot day in London; the sun was scorching hot, and the temperature was around 28C. Police quickly cordoned off the area and covered the body. Nearly five hours passed but the casualty was still lying in the sun. Then I saw some other people arrive at the scene, who I believe included the Health and Safety Executive Inspector. Later, the mortuary van took the body away. The cleaning team arrived and washed the yard.

That night I went to check on my neighbours’ welfare. Undoubtedly, they were very shaken. They said the man was an old friend they’d known for many years and occasionally helped them out with odd jobs. They told me he was in his 70s, someone who enjoyed life and was known to most of the older people in the neighbourhood.

It is Tuesday morning now and the street is quiet. You’d never know it, but a fall from height statistic was just created here.

Mumtaz Mahmood CMIOSH

Mumtaz Mahmood CMIOSH

This moving account was written by Mumtaz Mahmood CMIOSH, an IOSH London Metropolitan Branch committee member who carries out health and safety audits of schools.

Got a story to share? Please get in touch.

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

Building tall to dig deep

Archaeological works beneath the encapsulation structure

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Building tall to dig deep

Designing out working at height on major infrastructure projects

Archaeological works beneath the encapsulation structure
Archaeological works beneath the encapsulation structure. Photo credit: Caroline Raynor, Costain Group Plc

A guest blog by Caroline Raynor, Costain Group Plc
Case study coming soon!

When I talk to people about archaeology and delivering archaeological works it’s not traditionally perceived as a high-risk profession. Unless of course your point of reference is Indiana Jones. Yet delivering complex archaeological works on major infrastructure projects brings with it a myriad of challenges and potential risks, including plant and pedestrian interfaces, deep excavations, Musculo-skeletal disorders and work at height, to name a few. Recent works by Costain-Skanska JV on the Enabling Works contract in Area South for HS2 Ltd triggered massive archaeological investigations in Central London with the excavation of a large post medieval burial ground containing an estimated 60,000 burials.

A requirement for the works was the complete encapsulation of the burial ground to ensure that the archaeological excavation could be carried out safely and given all due care, dignity and respect to those buried within the cemetery. Costain-Skanska JV worked with Palmers Scaffolding Group and RDG Engineering to design and deliver a complex system scaffold structure which covered the 11,000m2 area and incorporated a suspended inspection and maintenance gantry and high level walkways with integrated edge protection to provide access to the complex lighting and power supply which was installed at roof level to limit cable strikes during the excavation phase. The whole structure was erected without the use of a crane, but with the use of a birdcage scaffold and bespoke working platform which allowed the roof trusses to be assembled in a safe elevated position and winched into place on parallel spine beams where they where then pulled into place using a tirfor and guide tower at ground level. Using this methodology, the twin roofs were erected with minimal work at height and improved manual handling procedures.

Tom Pawson, Costain Groups Scaffolding Designated Individual said “Falls from height often cause life changing injuries and fatalities.  The impact is felt not just to those that fall but also their families, friends, and colleagues. At Costain we place the utmost importance on developing innovative solutions to remove the need for people to work at height.  Where the requirement to work at height cannot be eliminated, we always seek to develop solutions that can be largely implemented at ground level and reduce, as far as is reasonably practicable, the requirement for anybody to be working at height.”

A key mandate set out by HS2 is to establish a programme of work which drives innovation and leaves a lasting legacy across multiple disciplines and specialisms. The work in St James’s Gardens has set new standards in how working at height can be eliminated through strategic and innovative design from the outset.

Palmers team on working platform
Palmers team on working platform. Photo credit: Caroline Raynor, Costain Group Plc

Colin Butt, CEO of Palmers Group said “Primarily, our methodology is devised for worker safety, to eliminate the possibility of a fall from height at design stage. The method of erection facilitated not only safe working for Palmers operatives and dramatically reduced the time spent working at height during both construction and maintenance, but also reduced potential impacts at ground level in an area which was deemed to be of a highly sensitive archaeological nature. Of further benefit was the unique suspended inspection platforms which allowed close inspection of the completed work structure, prior commissioning and use, by ground-based engineering and management staff, to ensure accuracy and completeness.”

Costain-Skanska JV and Palmers Group are delighted to be invited to share their innovative project and best-practise as a case study for the No Falls Foundation. 

Caroline Raynor

Caroline Raynor

This article was kindly written for the No Falls Foundation by Caroline Raynor, Project Manager and Principal Archaeologist at Costain Group Plc.

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

PASMA responds to HSE prosecution after tower collapse causes worker to fall 8m

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PASMA responds to HSE prosecution after tower collapse causes worker to fall 8m

A recent prosecution at Glasgow Sheriff Court has highlighted both the human and financial consequences when work at height is not properly planned, designed and managed.
 
The court heard that on 2 September 2016, an employee of JR Scaffold Services Ltd, who was erecting a tower scaffold to carry out roof repairs, fell 8 metres after the cantilever section on which he was standing collapsed. According to reports, it left him hospitalised for two weeks, with severe injuries including a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen and multiple rib and shoulder fractures. It was five months before he could return to work and he will be on daily antibiotics for the rest of his life.
 
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had correctly carried out a risk assessment and method statement before starting work. However, the tower was erected in the wrong place. Rather than dismantle and reassemble in the right place, it was decided that a cantilever section should be added, despite this not being included in the design.
 
The HSE identified two major errors in what followed. Firstly, there were insufficient anchor ties available on site, so the cantilever was supported by splicing the frame of the scaffold. Secondly, no ballast/counterweight was used, which meant the top section of the tower was unable to support the weight of the cantilever.
 
When the employee stood on the cantilever section to fit toe boards, the top section of the scaffold and cantilever section collapsed.
 
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £5,000, reduced from £10,000 due to the current pandemic.

In response to this prosecution, PASMA, the not-for-profit lead industry body dedicated to promoting the safe use of towers, is urging all those responsible for managing the use of mobile towers and prefabricated tower scaffolds, to take all necessary measures to protect employees’ safety.
 
Specifically, this case highlights the consequences of making unplanned modifications to scaffold towers, which undoubtedly compromises the stability of the tower and increases the risk of incident.
 
When assembling a standard configuration tower, including mobile access and cantilever towers, follow the instruction manual exactly.
 
If you require a more complex aluminium structure to be specially designed for your project, it should be built by a PASMA Hire & Assembly member. Their PASMA membership demonstrates their commitment to meeting the highest standards in equipment, design and training. They are audited by PASMA and employ access tower specialists who have successfully completed an intensive training course. PASMA recommends that you use only these companies for assembly, modification or dismantling of non-standard towers.
 
PASMA encourages every company involved in the hire and assembly of tower scaffolds to adopt its safety standards and become a member. The company involved in this case has not yet done so.
 
Commenting on the accident, the Chair of PASMA’s Hire and Assembly Committee and owner of STS Access Ltd, Pete Harley said, “It is distressing to hear of another fall from height that could easily have been prevented. The incorrect positioning of the tower set off a chain of errors resulting in a serious injury. Alterations can be made to a designed structure only after consulting with the engineer and the correct equipment must always be used. This incident clearly highlights the need for planning by a competent person, as required by the Work at Height Regulations.”
 
Gillian Rutter, PASMA’s immediate Past Chairman and Director of Hire Access Ltd added, “Cantilever towers are a proven safe method of working but only when they are correctly designed and built. There is a PASMA Towers with Cantilevers training course that gives already experienced mobile access tower users the additional skills required to build these more complex tower scaffolds. However, even this training does not qualify a user to design a cantilever tower. Without question, that is the role of a qualified designer whose design plan must be followed on site without changes.”
 
Falls from height are the leading cause of workplace fatalities and cause thousands of injuries each year, many with life-changing consequences for the victim and their families. PASMA urges anyone affected by a fall from height to contact the No Falls Foundation, the only charity dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping people affected by the consequences of a fall.

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

BE SAFE, DON’T FALL, STAY ALIVE!

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BE SAFE, DON’T FALL, STAY ALIVE!

AS THE lockdown eases and people begin returning to work, the No Falls Foundation is urging workers to ‘Be Safe, Don’t Fall, Stay Alive!’

Dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping people affected by the life-changing consequences of a fall, the charity is keen to ensure that height safety remains a priority despite the understandable pressures to kick-start the economy. 

Comments chair of the trustees, Peter Bennett OBE: “Falls from height are the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injuries. It’s therefore imperative that safety is not compromised for the sake of productivity.”

“We have witnessed unprecedented collaboration and mobilisation of all the stakeholders in industry – government, regulators, employers, trade associations, trade unions and employees – to fundamentally change  behaviours to try and ensure that COVID-19 does not wreak devastation in the workplace.”
   
“Moving forward, we need to harness and build upon that collaboration and sense of common cause, and apply it to that commonplace, often unnoticed danger – working at height.”

The Foundation, which has three objectives – raising awareness of the risks associated with working at height, researching the causes of falls and providing advice and support to those affected by a fall – is also asking anyone who has suffered a fall and experienced its consequences to get in touch. 

Explains charity manager, Hannah Williams: “We’re looking for people to share their personal stories in a series of case studies on the Foundation’s website – anonymously if necessary – for the benefit of others. If anyone would like to contribute to the work of the charity and help save lives by stopping falls, we would be delighted to hear from them.”

The charity is also about to publish the first issue of Saving Lives, an occasional e-newsletter for anyone involved – directly or indirectly – in the work at height sector. To sign up visit nofallsfoundation.org.

Finally, the Annual Charity Ball – postponed for this year because of the pandemic – will now take place on Saturday, 30 October 2021 at the Coombe Abbey Hotel, Warwickshire. 

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

COVID-19 Guidance

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COVID-19 Guidance

As we are all aware, unprecedented measures are being implemented across the globe to prevent the further outbreak and spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). This makes it a very challenging time all round for businesses and individuals as we do everything within our power to ensure the health and safety of our staff, our customers and the wider community.

There is a wide range of guidance available for businesses and individuals to review and keep up to speed as the situation develops.

We have collated, what we believe, are the most relevant links to advice and resources in respect of the Coronavirus pandemic. You can view them at www.accessindustryforum.org.uk/covid19/

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494

Fall from height: Life changing injuries “wholly avoidable”

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Fall from height: Life changing injuries “wholly avoidable”

Avoidable accidents are still occurring in the workplace as a result of companies failing to properly plan and ensure that appropriate equipment is being used when working at height – as highlighted by a recent prosecution at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.

Two companies have been prosecuted following an incident during which a worker suffered life changing injuries after falling 9.7m through a roof light whilst working as a sheet cladder at a factory in West Yorkshire. His injuries resulted in surgical operations to insert six pins into his pelvis, together with two further pins at the top of his femur and two at the bottom

The principal contractor and cladding installer pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were fined £145,000 with £5,046.30 costs and £165,000 with £5114.49 costs respectively.

Following the hearing HSE Inspector Paul Thompson commented “Work at height, such as roof work, is a high-risk activity that accounts for a high proportion of workplace serious injuries and fatalities each year. This was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the principal contractor to manage and monitor the works to ensure the correct work equipment was being used. The risk was further amplified by the cladding company’s failure to ensure suitable measures were in place to prevent persons falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.”  

For the No Falls Foundation, Hannah Williams commented “This incident emphasises the need for companies to ensure that working at height is properly planned, supervised and carried out by a competent person. This fall could have been totally avoided had this been the case.”

Falls from height are still the leading cause of death in the workplace and result in an additional estimated 118 injuries every day.

The No Falls Foundation is the UK’s first and only charity devoted exclusively to the working at height sector. It is dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping people effected by the life-changing consequences of a fall. It has three main objectives: Preventing falls; researching the causes of falls and providing support.

Copyright 2025 No Falls Foundation l All rights reserved l Registered Charity Number 1177494