WAH: Working at height

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Chapter :- Work At Height 

Working at height

 

Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries. Common cases include falls from ladders and through fragile roofs.  

Work at height means work in any place, including at or below ground level (for example in underground workings), where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury.

This section shows how employers can take simple, practical measures to reduce the risk of any of their workers falling while working at height.

Engineering control for work at height

Engineering controls for work at height are safety measures designed to eliminate or reduce the risks of falls. They focus on modifying the work environment or equipment to minimize hazards. Here are some common engineering controls for work at height:

1. Guardrails and Barriers: Installing fixed guardrails or barriers around the edges of platforms, roofs, or scaffolds helps prevent falls.
2. Scaffolding: Properly erected and stable scaffolding provides safe platforms for workers to perform tasks at height.
3. Aerial Lifts and Elevated Platforms: Using aerial lifts, boom lifts, or elevated platforms allows workers to perform tasks at height safely, with guardrails to protect them from falls.
4. Work Platforms: Custom work platforms, such as those with toe boards or edge protection, are designed to provide secure footing and prevent falls.
5. Safety Net Systems: Installing safety nets below work areas can help catch workers or tools that might fall.
6. Fall Arrest Systems: Anchoring points and lifeline systems, which include harnesses and lanyards, ensure workers are protected if they fall.
7. Design Modifications: In some cases, designing structures with built-in safety features, such as walkways or access ladders with cages, reduces the risk of falls.
8. Roof Anchors: Fixed anchor points for fall protection systems on roofs allow workers to secure themselves when performing tasks at heights.

By implementing these engineering controls, the risk of falls and injuries while working at height can be significantly reduced.

What do I have to do?

You must make sure that all work at height is properly planned, supervised and carried out by people who are competent (someone who has the skills, knowledge and experience) to do the job. This must include the use of the right type of access equipment.

To prevent or minimize risk when planning for work at height, consider what needs to be done and take a sensible, risk-based approach to identify suitable precautions.

Control measures

There is a simple hierarchy of control measures (as described below) which you should follow to minimize the risk of a fall from height. The hierarchy should be followed systematically and only when one level is not reasonably practicable This means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the risk in terms of money, time or trouble. The decision is weighted in favor of health and safety so that the measures are adopted unless they are grossly disproportionate. may the next level be considered.

Those in control of the work need to:

• Avoid work at height where they can
• Use work equipment to prevent falls where work at height cannot be avoided
• Where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, use work equipment to minimize the distance and consequences of a fall if one occurs
• Always consider measures that protect all those at risk, i.e. collective protection measures (scaffolds, nets, soft landing systems) before measures that only protect the individual, i.e. personal protection measures (a harness)

Dos and Don’ts of working at height

Do….

• Make sure the surface/access equipment in use is stable and strong enough to support the worker’s weight and that of any equipment. Any edge protection should be wide enough and strong enough to prevent a fall
• As much work as possible from the ground or partly from the ground, for example assemble structures on the ground and lift them into position with lifting equipment
• Take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces, eg an asbestos cement roof, to prevent a fall or to mini mise the distance and consequences in the event of a fall
• Ensure workers can get safely to and from where they want to work at height and also consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures
• Make sure everyone involved is competent to do the work they are responsible for, including those who plan and organize it
• Choose the most appropriate equipment for the type of work being done and how often it will be used
• Provide protection from falling objects
• Make sure equipment used for work at height is well maintained and inspected regularly

Don’t…

• Overload ladders – the person and anything they are taking up should not exceed the highest load stated on the ladder
• Overreach on ladders or stepladders – keep your belt buckle (navel) inside the stiles and both feet on the same rung throughout the task
• Use ladders or stepladders if the nature of the work is deemed to be ‘heavy’ or if the task will take longer than thirty minutes or so to complete
• Use ladders if workers cannot maintain three points of contact (hands and feet) at the working position. If this is not possible, consider an alternative safe system of work
• Let anyone who is not competent (someone who doesn’t have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job) carry out work at height