Every field within the construction trade has its fair share of dangers and a high risk of accidents. Every construction worker is aware of the risks when he or she chooses this career path and many become the victims of tragic accidents.
The StoryIn February of last year, two painters fell to their deaths within hours of one another. One man, 52-year-old Robert MacDonald was a painter working on the Forth Bridge and had been in this line of work for most of his life. The actual cause of the fall was never determined, but he did fall about 150 feet where he landed on scaffolding. Emergency crews were called out immediately but unfortunately he was pronounced dead on the scene.
Less than 10 hours later, 44-year-old David Rodger, who was working as a painter on the Tay Bridge also fell to his death. Reports say that he fell approximately 6 feet from a ladder onto a ledge that runs under the Tay rail. He was a contractor for the same company as Mr MacDonald, and while their deaths occurred in two separate places the fact that they occurred so close together in such a similar manner was quite unnerving to local authorities.
David Simpson, who is the Scotland Network Rail route director offered several statements about the deaths of the two men and assured reporters that, “…Such events have become extremely rare in the last decade as a result of rigorous safety regimes…”
Prevention of Construction Tragedies – Construction NVQs and CSCS CardsThe efforts to prevent tragedies such as these are what have led a substantial number of construction companies to really raise their requirements when it comes to the workers they hire. CSCS cards and NVQ certifications in painting are being made mandatory by many employers as a result of this and other tragic incidents involving painters working at great heights.
A Painting NVQ certification reassures employers that you are completely competent and have been sufficiently trained and are able to prove it to a professional assessor. Proper training and certification can be the difference between a successful project and a tragedy – requiring an NVQ significantly reduces the risk of employee error being the cause of accidents.
In the past, employees who had a level 3 NVQ in Painting were often given better projects or benefits for being certified but no one was required to have one. But is it fair for the other employees who do not have an NVQ in Painting to work alongside those who have not been certified and could be putting them in danger? By requiring each and every employee to have their level 2 Painting NVQ before being put on the job, you are ensuring the highest possibility of an accident free company.
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