Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/672433
NETWORK / 24 / MAY 2016 PrinciPles of fall Protection u A – anchorage u B – body support u C – connector u D – descent/rescue u E - education ON SITE CapITal SafETy, TraININg CENTrE Falling from height is the biggest cause of fatality at work, making up 24% of the total deaths across all sectors in the UK between 2005-10. Training for working at height is compulsory as part of an employer's legal duty of care under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and since then there has been no minimum on what is classified as "working at height". If there is a risk to safety, training must be given. Accidents at work not only affect the direct employee but have a knock-on effect on the whole workforce, resulting in low morale, a loss of respect and potentially even strike action. The consequences for employers of failing in the duty of care are sizeable, and include imprisonment, fines, a loss of reputation and civil action. With this in mind, regular training is essential, and the utilities space is one of the sectors in which this particular danger is felt most keenly. Employees regularly work at height and in confined spaces, both of which are catered for at Capital Safety's various centres across the UK. Energy companies Scottish and Southern Energy, RWE and Scottish Power have all used Capital's facilities, either in Manchester, Edinburgh or London. But Capital also provides around 40-50% of its training on customers' premises, particularly useful for network companies, whose employees could face a range of situations, including climbing wooden poles and steel structures. Capital Safety believes there is no better training environment than one that as closely as possible matches the environment an employee would actually work in, but training on a customer's premises is not always possible. To this end it has invested in extensive outside facilities, as Network saw for itself when we travelled to the company's main site in Greenfield, Manchester. Capital Safety, recently acquired by US giant 3M, has a long history in the safety equipment supply sector, becoming the world's largest manufacturer of safety equipment. In 2003 the Capital Safety centre was set up in an old textiles mill, in a picturesque setting on the edge of the moors in greater Manchester. The centre has a wide range of facilities to suit various sectors. Its outside facilities include a 27m lattice telecoms tower and a series of telecoms monopoles. The 30m decommissioned modified V25 vestas wind turbine installed on site in 2009 truly makes it a versatile traning cnetre for networks in the UK. While networks, alongside the fire service and telecommunications, are the sectors most in need of Capital's specialised training, the emerging wind sector is fast taking over, making up between 60-70% of Capital's capacity. The centre is accredited by Siemens, Renewable UK Emergency Evacuation As part of the trip to Capital's site, Network was given the opportunity to perform an emergency evacuation from the Vestas wind turbine.