When we think about workplace safety, we often picture equipment or procedures. But in high-risk industries, particularly environments involving work at height, the most important safety conversations happen before work starts.
The first few months carry the greatest risk
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), workers are as likely to have an accident in their first six months as during the rest of their working life combined.
This is often due to:
- unfamiliar environments and tasks
- pressure to perform
- reluctance to ask questions
In high-risk sectors, especially those involving work at height, a strong site induction shapes how someone approaches risk, communication and responsibility from day one. Done right, it creates an environment where people have the confidence to speak up – but done poorly, it becomes a tick box exercise that signals safety isn’t a real priority.
Learning from industry experts
In a recent Grounded in Safety podcast episode, Kelly Nicoll, Past President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and Trustee of the No Falls Foundation, spoke about the role of communication in safety.
Kelly described an induction where new starters spent a full day exploring how things go right in the workplace and, crucially, how things go wrong, by using real stories to shape behaviour early. Her aim was simple: “Instil this idea that if something doesn’t feel right in your gut – stop.”
Sharing near misses and real incidents makes risk tangible and reinforces a learning culture – learning from what worked, how risks were identified, how incidents were prevented and feeding this back into inductions and training.
Omega Red Group's approach to inductions
At Omega Red Group, we recognise that induction shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Our inductions are tailored to the role, with a focus on helping people understand the real-world environments they’ll be working in or supporting.
For example, a new member of our Business Development team recently spent a full week working alongside site teams. This wasn’t just about technical training;,it was about seeing:
- the realities of working at height
- the practical challenges teams face
- the safety controls that matter most on site
Experiences such as this help bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring our conversations with clients are informed, credible and grounded in reality.
The importance of height safety system inductions
Effective inductions help people understand the hazards on a site and what protective controls are in place. For work at height, those controls include height safety systems. Height safety systems only reduce risk when they’re correctly designed, regularly inspected and understood by the people who use them. That’s why Omega Red Group supports organisations through the design, inspection and testing of height safety systems, helping ensure the safety measures introduced during induction are compliant, effective and properly used in practice.
Can you be absolutely certain your height safety system is compliant? Let our expert team guide you. Call us on 0800 111 4040 today to arrange a risk assessment.
Looking for more insights on height safety culture, behavioural safety and No Falls Week?
Listen to the No Falls Week mini-series of the Grounded in Safety Podcast.
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