Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer
If you have ever sent a man 200 miles in a van with two ladders on the roof rack and wondered why he didn't "work safely," this episode is about why falls from height are still the number one killer on site, and what 45 years at the sharp end of the access industry says actually fixes it.
Peter Bennett OBE joins Gavin Coyle. Peter is managing director of PASMA, executive director of the Ladder Association, chair of the No Falls Foundation and a past president of IPAF, 45 years in access, from a Glasgow scaffolding yard with Stevens & Carter to writing the standards the industry works to today. Fresh HSE fatality statistics had been released the very morning of the recording, and Peter walks through what they really mean.
You'll learn:
• The numbers: 35 killed in falls last year, 361 in a decade, 44,000 non-fatal falls a year in GB
• Why non-fatal falls are just as serious, life-changing injuries, not just fatalities
• The fatality Peter's carried for decades, and why nobody got counselling
• The two most dangerous people on site: the novice, and the over-55 who's "forgotten" the danger
• Why banning ladders backfires, train risk assessment instead of prescribing everything
• The two-ladders-on-a-roof-rack test for pricing work at height into a job
Episode Highlights / Timestamps
01:09 Welcome: Peter Bennett OBE
09:56 Fresh HSE stats: 35 deaths, 361 in a decade
14:13 The ripple effect
16:40 The fatality Peter can't forget
19:50 Over-55s: "you don't bounce as well"
27:41 Advance guardrails
32:04 "Ladders are banned"
37:44 Two ladders on a roof rack
44:49 Fatal accident inquiry: six deaths
49:29 Retirement, succession
53:00 Favourite books
Connect with Peter Bennett OBE
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peter-bennett-obe-b3884a13
• No Falls Foundation: nofallsfoundation.org
• PASMA: pasma.co.uk
• Ladder Association: ladderassociation.org.uk
• Email: peter.bennettobe@nofallsfoundation.org
• Sign up for No Falls Week: https://nofallsweek.org/
About Coyle Group
Coyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.
With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.
Learn more:
https://coyle-group.com/
About the Podcast
I'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.
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