The last meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height, brought together key stakeholders from the construction and health and safety communities, in the Jubilee Room in the Palace of Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA on Tuesday 12 December 2023. Formal proceedings were followed by a festive drinks reception where attendees had the opportunity to meet informally with decision makers and industry leaders from across the sector.


APPG Chair, Alison Thewliss MP, introduced a group of insightful speakers to highlight the challenges that they have faced in the fight for making working at height safer for all.


Speakers:

• Stephen Green – HM Inspector of Health and Safety, Health and Safety Executive;
• Sarah Batchelor – Farm Safety & Transport Advisor, NFU;
• Luke Collins – National Health & Safety Manager, UNITE the Union;
• Hannah Williams – Charity Manager, No Falls Foundation.

• Peter Bennett OBE – Chair of the Access Industry Forum (AIF), Managing Director Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ & Manufacturers’ Association (PASMA), and Executive Director at the Ladder Association;
• Clive Dickin – CEO, National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC);
• Tony Seddon – Managing Director, Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training (FASET).

There was also the opportunity to interact with cutting edge, innovative virtual reality technology that allowed attendees to experience a true-to-life simulation of working at height, in a safe and controlled environment, and highlighted the risks which face those working at height daily.


This APPG meeting occurred at a critical time where we are looking to reduce the physical, mental and financial burdens of working at height and cement the UK’s position as a world-leader in worker safety.