WORKING AT HEIGHT

What is working at height?

 Working at height is any activity where the potential
of a fall exists
 Falls from height can occur anywhere – even on the
ground
Working at height activities include:

 Wearing a  Operating mobile elevated

harness work platforms (MEWPs)

 Using ladders /step

 Scaffolding
ladders
What are the risks?
 Unguarded platforms/openings leading to falls
 Unstable ground conditions leading to structure collapse
 Unsecured tools / equipment on lifts or working platforms
 Unauthorised access to
 Lack of barricading leading to people under suspended loads
 Failure of lifting equipment
 Overhead power lines or electrical conductors
 Traffic /work near roads risk of persons being struck
 Lack of training and competency leading to injury / fatality
 Suspension trauma
What are the influences?
 Equipment not used / unavailable
 No physical barriers – barricades / fencing
 Poor housekeeping
 Inadequate / no exclusion zones (drop zones)
 Inadequate / no Supervision
 Insufficient / no planning & hazard ID
 Insufficient training for the task
 Incorrect protection / equipment choices
 Incorrect use or set-up of equipment
 Unwillingness to change the way a task is
carried out
What are the potential
consequences?
 Serious life threatening injury / death
 Permanent disability
 Loss of income
 Impact on family, friends, work
colleagues (Ripple effect)
 Prosecution individual / company
Key steps to managing risk
 Identify scope of work
 Identify task(s) to be done
 Identify hazards associated with task(s)
 Assess the initial risk
 Develop controls
 Assess residual risk
 Monitor and review controls
Equipment – Best Practice Use
Consider the hierarchy of controls when selecting equipment.
Equipment – Best Practice Use

Group controls isolate multiple workers from the risk

of falling.
Examples include:
 Scaffolding
 Edge protection
 Mechanical access plant
 Safety mesh
Equipment – Best Practice Use

Personal controls should only be considered when group controls are not
practicable.
Examples include:
 Harness systems
 Temporary work platforms

Ladders and stepladders do not offer fall protection and should be the
last form of work access equipment to be considered.
Equipment – Best Practice Use
As equipment is identified, it is important to
consider the following:
 Working conditions
 Distances to be negotiated for access and
egress
 Distances and consequences of a fall
 Duration and frequency of use
 Rescue
 Additional risk posed by the installation and
removal of work equipment
Inspection Frequencies of
Equipment
Item Frequency

•Personal equipment including

•Before and after each use.
harnesses, lanyards,
•By a height safety operator or –
connectors, fall arrest
if not competent – by another
devices including common use
competent person.
devices
•Harnesses, lanyards,
associated personal equipment. •6 monthly inspection.
•Fall arrest devices (external •By a height safety equipment
inspection only) inspector
•Ropes and slings
Item Frequency

•Anchorages – •12 monthly inspection

Drilled in type or •As recommended by manufacturer to a
attached to maximum of 5 years
timber frames •12 monthly inspection in the absence of
•Anchorages – such recommendation
Other types •By a height safety equipment inspector

•As recommended by manufacturer to a

Fall arrest maximum of 5 years
devices – Full •12 monthly service in the absence of such
service recommendation
•By a height safety equipment inspector
Item Frequency

•As recommended by manufacturer

to a maximum of 5 years
•Horizontal and Vertical •12 monthly service in the absence
Lifelines – steel rope or rail of such recommendation
•By a height safety equipment
inspector
•6 monthly inspection
•Horizontal and Vertical
•By a height safety equipment
Lifelines – Fibre rope / web
inspector
•Check Manufacturer specifications and
•All items that have been
take in to be checked by a height
stressed as a result of a fall safety inspector.
Training – Competencies & Limitations
Harness work
 All harness work requires training and competence.
 WorkSafe Standards for workers involved in installing and
using harness systems
 Untrained personnel should be inducted and supervised by
qualified persons

Other training considerations

 Scaffolding
 Mechanical access plant
 Rescue
Getting equipment to height

Determine how tools/equipment will be lifted to

height during job planning stages.

Considerations:
 Competent personnel
 Rated lifting equipment
 Area below lift
 Don’t overload
Fall Arrest System Rescue Plan
 Emergency Situations:
 Sudden medical event, trip, or slip causing a
worker to fall and be suspended in a
harness.
 Requires rescue retrieval within minutes to
prevent suspension trauma.

 Working at Height Rescue Plan – key

elements:
 JSA - Pre-planning
 Communications – verbal / radio
 Rescue plan discussed prior to work starting
 Plan reviewed throughout job.
 Equipment – Gotcha Kit (Photo) onsite
 Prevention controls (suspension trauma
straps)
 SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

1. Work at Height over water 8. Pipe racks and cable trays,

2. Adverse weather condition tank roofs and
lighting towers
3. Work at height during
night 9. Insulation and painting
works at height
4. Radiography work at
height 10.Confined Space at height

5. Man basket/man lift 11.Loading and unloading of

operations materials

6. Fragile, sloping roof 12.Special hazards: honey-

bees, birds etc.
7. Structure Erection/working
on structures
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

1.Personal Fall Arrest

System (PFAS)

2.Guardrails

3.Safety Net
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

Safety Harness :
Safety harness is normally
made of fiber and is used to
retain a person in a
hazardous work position and
to reduce the probability of
falls.
• User must be trained how to
properly use PFAS.
•PFAS = anchorage, lifeline and
body harness.
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
(CONTD..)
Floor, roof and working
surface openings
Any skylight opening or
hole greater than 12
inches wide must either
be covered with a cover
that will support at least
200 pounds or guarded
by a railing.
 FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

SAFETY NETS

Place as close as possible,

but no more than 6 meters
below where employees work
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

LANYARD CONTD…

Note:
Use of safety belt
as PFAS is
prohibited by the
KFIL Standard
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

LIFELINE HORIZONTAL
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

LIFELINE VERTIAL

Life line:
A flexible line
from a fixed
anchorage or
between two
fixed
anchorages to
which the
lanyard or belt
is anchored.
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

SWING FALLS - PENDULUM EFFECT

• Swing falls occur when the anchorage point is not directly

above the point where a fall occurs.
• The farther you move sideways from your anchor point, the
greater the chance of swinging if you fall. This is known as the
"pendulum effect."
• The force of striking an object or the ground in a swing fall
may cause serious injury.
• Swinging may even cause your lanyard or lifeline to break
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)
Anchorage:
ANCHORAGE
A secure point of attachment for lifelines,
lanyards, or retractable lifelines. Steel
structures or process piping of 2 inch diameter
or greater may be used as an anchor point
with proper risk assessment. Sprinkler piping,
instrument tubing, hydraulic pipes, hand rails
shall not be used as an anchor point. .

Must be independent of any platform

anchorage and capable of supporting at least
2300Kg. per worker
A 100 kg worker free falling 1.0 meters
generates an impact force of
approximately 1200 kg
FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

ANCHORAGE – SOME EXAMPLES OF INADEQUATE

ANCHORAGE
MOVABLE SCAFFOLD
SAFETY
MIS - USE OVERLOADING

DO NOT RIDE DO NOT OVERLOAD the platform

on the ladder. beyond its designated weight.
 LADDERS, STAIRS & STEPS
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
• Over-reaching
• Wrong choice of ladder
• Damage to ladder
• Unsecured
• Working without the ‘Three Points
of Contact’.
• Standing on the top of a
 FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (CONTD..)

LANYARD

A knot will reduce the

strength of a rope lanyard
by 50 percent.