August 2009 WORKING AT HEIGHT HSEW. Safety H S E W A WAY OF LIVING. Standards for professionals, be aware!

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "August 2009 WORKING AT HEIGHT HSEW. Safety H S E W A WAY OF LIVING. Standards for professionals, be aware!"

Darren Perry
8 years ago
Views:

1 WORKING AT H S E W August 2009 HEIGHT A WAY OF LIVING Safety He alth Well-being Environment HSEW Standards for professionals, be aware!

2 Work safely or don t work at all Familiarise yourself as quickly as possible with the situation at your workplace. Make sure that you know where everything and everybody are. Read your permit to work carefully and check that all the measures it describes are actually in place. Take all the safety precautions required for the job you are doing. Stay alert at all times. If you are in any doubt, ask. Or stop the work immediately. 2

Read your permit to work carefully and check that all the measures it describes are actually in place.

3 Whether you work onshore or offshore, working at height is amongst the most hazardous activities at a workplace. Every year people are killed or injured when working at height. Preferably all work at height is to be avoided. If this is not at all possible, you should prevent falling by using the proper equipment. Where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, work equipment or other measures should be used to minimise the consequence of a fall should one occur. What is at height? In the UK the Working at height regulations apply to any height. Note: 60% of falls which injure people are from less than 2 meters. 3

If this is not at all possible, you should prevent falling by using the proper equipment.

4 Examples of Working at height from a ladder, working platform or scaffold abseiling (rope access) near unprotected open edges/excavations near unprotected penetrations or openings in roofs, floors or walls near or from unstable structures (temporary or permanent) on or near fragile or brittle surfaces where tools, equipment or material could be dropped onto someone below AVOID, PREVENT, MINIMISE! Questions to be asked 1. Can Working at height be avoided? Consider if the work can be done from ground levels, e.g.: use extension arms construct at ground level and move into position lower the equipment to be worked on 2. If not, how can the risk of falling be prevented? install a fixed platform which has features to prevent a fall eg: fixed/temporary guardrails or parapets 4

PREVENT, MINIMISE! Questions to be asked 1. Can Working at height be avoided? Consider if the work can be done from ground levels, e.g.: use extension arms construct at ground level and move into position lower the equipment to be worked on 2.

5 3. If not, how can the consequences of a fall be minimised? Use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, e.g.: collective protection (netting; air bags) personal protective equipment (fall arrest equipment) 4. In case of an emergency, has rescue been planned for? Plan and discuss the rescue operation: rescue plan first aid plan availability of rescue equipment Selecting fall prevention equipment When working at height cannot be avoided, the most suitable equipment is selected in order to prevent falls and/or minimise consequences thereof, considering: access and egress to/from the work area type, duration, and frequency of the task tools and materials to be used risk of installing the equipment working/weather conditions distance and likely consequence of a fall accompanying rescue or evacuation arrangements 5

Plan and discuss the rescue operation: rescue plan first aid plan availability of rescue equipment Selecting fall prevention equipment When working at height cannot be avoided, the most suitable

6 Preparing the work can it be avoided? be sure you are trained, skilled and capable to complete the task safely read the work permit carefully be sure you are familiar with the risks of the job thoroughly discuss those risks (toolbox talk) inspect the work area inspect and control fall prevention equipment familiarise with safe access & egress routes respect barriers, warning signs and scafftags Preventing risks before starting work Think about: permit controls adverse weather conditions? rescue team/equipment? communications/emergency telephone? dropped objects? Preventing risks during work work and operate according to procedures and instructions use the correct PPEs choose the correct anchor points when using fall arrest equipment never do scaffold alterations yourself (ask a competent person) Beware: always report any unforeseen event or situation to the site manager. 6

talk) inspect the work area inspect and control fall prevention equipment familiarise with safe access & egress routes respect barriers, warning signs and scafftags Preventing risks before starting

7 Additional risks when Working at height area s difficult to reach nearby process euipment in operation assembling/disassembling heavy parts simultaneous activities (e.g. hoisting; lifting) Stop the work in the event of uncertainties, danger or deviations from the work permit immediately - never start improvising! Training All personnel must have relevant training to complete the task safely (some certified) training to use and inspect fall arrest equipment certified training to operate Mobile Elevated Working Platforms work at height awareness training Rescue response team training to use the site rescue equipment and execute training exercises in work at height emergencies Any questions? Further information? You can always contact your supervisor or the site manager. 7

Working Platforms work at height awareness training Rescue response team training to use the site rescue equipment and execute training exercises in work at height emergencies Any questions?

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD WORK AT HEIGHT POLICY

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD WORK AT HEIGHT POLICY CONTENTS Page No 1 INTRODUCTION 2 2 LEGISLATION 2 3 HIERARCHY OF CONTROL 2 4 WORK AT HEIGHT POLICY 3 5 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 3 6 RISK ASSESSMENTS