A Blackpool Tower cleaner has backed a national safety at work campaign.
Dave Hulme, who cleans the 158-metre-high tower's glass floor by hanging underneath it, is supporting the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Shattered Lives drive.
Slips, trips and falls caused 1,155 serious injuries to workers in Lancashire last year, and are the most common cause of major workplace injury in Great Britain. HSE is urging employers and workers to take simple steps to reduce the risk of being injured.
Dave said: “People seem to think it’s a dangerous job, but working 150 metres above the ground isn’t really any more dangerous than working 15 metres above the ground.
"You just need to make sure you use the right safety equipment."
Dave, who works for Cumbrian engineering company MP Marine, started work at Blackpool Tower in 1983 and now oversees its maintenance. He came face to face with HSE Inspector Allen Shute from the underside of the ‘Walk of Faith’ glass floor to give his support to the Shattered Lives campaign.
Dave said: “When they were installing the glass floor just over a decade ago, we had to work out how we’d be able to clean under it safely. I seemed to end up being given the job. I use a harness and then just clean it like you would a window.
“I often get some funny looks when I’m hanging under the floor if people are standing on top of it at the time. I’ve also been known to get a round of applause when I come back up.
“I hope HSE’s Shattered Lives campaign makes people think more about preventing slips, trips and falls in their workplaces.”
HSE inspector Allen Shute said workers should not underestimate the risks they face.
He added: "Making improvements doesn’t need to cost the earth and we are encouraging people to visit the Shattered Lives website, where they will be able to get simple and cost-effective solutions to help manage slip, trip and fall hazards in their workplace."
The HSE estimates that about £800 million is lost each year as a result of slips, trips and falls.
The new hard-hitting campaign is targeted at those sectors where there are a high number of slips, trips and falls each year. Specifically, health and social care, education, food manufacturing, food retail, catering and hospitality, building and plant maintenance, and construction are being targeted.
For more information go to www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives
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