The first ever No Falls Week, a powerful campaign dedicated to promoting safe working at height, has been met with an overwhelmingly positive reception from industry.
The campaign from the No Falls Foundation, the first and only UK-based charity for the work at height sector, took place between 13 and 17 May 2024. No Falls Week’s mission is simple yet crucial; to raise awareness about the importance of safe working at height, prevent falls and ensure everyone that works at height comes down safely.
Falls from height are consistently the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the UK, with 40 people losing their lives at work due to a fall from height in 2022-20231. Latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that falls from height were responsible for a third of all workplace deaths last year, up from a quarter the year before2.
No Falls Week 2024 brought together individuals and businesses across all sectors to raise awareness about the importance of safe working at height and some headline successes include:
>1,900 companies signed up to get involved;
>13,000 visits to the No Falls Week website;
>9,000 resources downloaded from the No Falls Week website;
>33,000 No Falls Week posts were seen across social media.
No Falls Week even captured the attention of the Scottish Parliament, as Clare Adamson, SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, led a debate to highlight the importance of No Falls Week. Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, also tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons to acknowledge No Falls Week in helping to make work at height safer across all sectors.
Hannah Williams, Charity Manager at the No Falls Foundation, said: “We have been absolutely delighted with the participation in the first ever No Falls Week, with over 1,900 companies taking part. We saw many organisations use No Falls Week as the driver to hold toolbox talks, safety stand downs, and in-person safety events. We even had one company make No Falls Week branded cakes for their staff – that’s something we didn’t expect!
“We want to thank each and every person who got involved for their incredible support for No Falls Week, and who have taken practical steps to help prevent falls from height.
“We would also like to thank the Access Industry Forum and all of its members for providing all of the campaign resources, as well as our No Falls Supporters for their continued support.”
No Falls Week will return 12-16 May 2025. For further information on No Falls Week, please visit: nofallsweek.org
Sources: 1 / 2 – RIDDOR – Kind of accident statistic in Great Britain, 2023
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Hannah Williams
Charity Manager
The No Falls Foundation
hannah.williams@nofallsfoundation.org
Images available for download with this release:
No Falls Week logo | Hardhat Banner | Hannah Williams, Charity Manager Headshot
Notes to Editors
About the No Falls Foundation:
The No Falls Foundation is the charity devoted exclusively to the work at height sector. The Foundation is dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping people affected by the life-changing consequences of a fall.
The No Falls Foundation, in partnership with stakeholders such as the Access Industry Forum (AIF), other trade associations, professional bodies and organisations who are committed to preventing falls from height, has three distinct objectives:
- Education: Raising awareness of the risks of working at height and the promotion of safe working at height
- Research: Research into the causes of falls from height and how to prevent them
- Support: Providing help and support to those who have been affected by a fall from height.
More information can be found on the No Falls Foundation website, nofallsfoundation.org including details of how you can support the charity by becoming a No Falls Supporter
