Access to working at height

Access to working at height

Falling from any height can result in serious injury or death. Many tasks particularly maintenance tasks in require working at height and it is essential that a safe system of work is in place each and every time.

Nearly 50% of all fatalities in construction are falls from height.

Hazard: Fall from height

Operations often require access to remote and inaccessible locations such as maintenance on inclined conveyors, or the clearing of blockages from chutes or hoppers or the replacement of lights on masts and it is often these short-duration, random, unplanned and unexpected tasks that are the most hazardous.

• Selection of the safe working system for task.
• Ensure barriers are secured and not removed for the safety of all.
• Ensure you know how to use a safety harness should you have to use it.
• If in doubt, stop and think – get advice.

Control Measures

Where work equipment not specifically designed for the purpose of lifting persons is being used to gain access to heights as a working platform, the following must be carried out provided that appropriate action including adequate supervision has also been taken to ensure safety.

The man basket must have been thoroughly examined and certified and contain or display the following:

• a Safe Working Load clearly marked upon it;
• a hand rail, mid rail and a toe board;
• a solid floor;
• secure attachment to the lifting machine;
• an adequate anchor point for persons to attach fall-arrest equipment.

If a Front End Loader is to be used as the lift vehicle it must have the following:

• check / non-return valves on the hydraulics of the lift ram;
• a lockable bucket tip switch

The safe operating procedure must consider the following:

1. an assessment of ground conditions before persons are lifted in the basket;
2. that stabilizing jacks, where fitted, are in place and that the vehicles is stationary when persons are to be lifted;
3. that the loader driver remains in the cab at the controls at all times during the lifting operation;
4. that an adequate line of sight or communication is available between the driver and the persons in the basket;
5. that there is a plan for the evacuation of persons from the basket in the event of mechanical failure or other difficulty such as illness or injury.

On Site Safety

The presenter should outline / reiterate the site specific requirements of this particular site with regard to:

• Collective fall protection systems
• Personal Fall protection equipment
• Training & Supervision
• Method Statements & Risk Assessments
• Good access to and from scaffolds 

50% OF ALL FATAL ACCIDENTS ARE AS A RESULT OF FALLS FROM HEIGHT. DON’T LET IT BE YOU!