Helmets, ropes, harnesses and fall arrestors - when working at high altitudes, there is no room for mistakes. Whether your challenge is to reach an alpine peak or to finish the job on time. Meet mountaineer and rescue expert David Crawley, Head Trainer at C2 Vercital Safety.
Some children venture to the top of the climbing frame, others much higher than that. David Crawley, knew early on what he wanted to do in life.
- My father is an old alpinist and mountain climbing is what we do as a family. We didn't play football, we climbed mountains," he explains.
The enthusiasm eventually turned into a profession. David's broad expertise in mountaineering and rescue work has been transferred to industry, as the rescue techniques are the same and easy to translate from stone to wood, concrete and steel buildings.
- I have been Head Trainer at C2 for 4 years, which means that I often tailor courses to the needs of each individual customer. We have ready-made courses, but often we adapt to a given framework, we are very flexible and responsive," he explains.
Safety first
One of David's major challenges is to find out what customers need, as they sometimes find it difficult to figure out what they actually need. Many people think security is time-consuming and cumbersome, but they want to avoid breaking laws and regulations. Something David sees a problem with:
- Sometimes you can see in some companies that the risk of sanctions rather than safety itself is what drives the safety work. This is not the right perspective, it should be the opposite, as the cheapest labour at high altitude is rarely the best. At the same time, however, it is noticeable that interest in this type of safety work is increasing, which is positive. Manufacturers are constantly developing new safety equipment that makes it as easy as possible to comply with regulations, so overall things are much better now than they were just ten years ago.
It is often about the safety culture of a company, and in some industries, often the newer ones, these issues have been around since day one.
- In wind power, safety thinking is standard. It is rigorous and ingrained. It is a culture that has been created from the beginning. The construction industry, for example, has a different tradition where old patterns live on and the safety culture has some way to go in some places. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the fact that there are more accidents in that industry," says David.
However, construction companies in particular are frequent students of David's, as they often face difficult challenges that require a high level of safety thinking. He cites a recent example:
- Recently I was working with a company that builds five-storey apartment blocks. They stand on a very narrow edge and receive large and heavy wall sections that arrive by crane. The risk of falls is high. This was not a standard training programme but we had to develop a solution based on their specific needs.
The art of distinguishing between roof and facade
David does not have one solution. He has several. No two safety courses are the same, as no two workplaces are the same. Each course starts with a risk analysis and a lot of it is common sense. There is a discussion on how to minimise or eliminate risks and come up with safer working methods.
- In training, it is important that problems are identified and that we never just accept them and move on. To get it right, you need to have both system and product knowledge, which we provide. For example, roofing work should be done on the roof and not on the facade. If there is no need to be on the facade, you should have a system that stops at the edge of the roof," concludes David.
David's 3 things for companies to take away from a training programme:
- Plan the work well
Poor planning creates stress. Stress creates lack of focus. Lack of focus leads to problems. Things get dropped, a hammer falls. Why take the risk unnecessarily? - Communicate
What should be done and how should we do it? What tools should we have with us? And do we have a solid rescue plan in case what should not happen happens? Visual and verbal communication at all levels is key! - Dare to be safe
It is not essential to save a quarter for the company. Dare to point out when risky decisions don't feel good! Tackle it before someone falls off the wagon and avoid the headlines.
Want to get in touch with David? You can reach him on 018-56 69 98 or by e-mail. here.