What you need to know
Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the biggest causes of major injury. The heights involved do not always appear to be very significant, but many serious injuries result from falls of only a meter or so.
The most common incidents involve over-reaching, over-balancing, equipment failure, misuse of equipment, unexpected movement (particularly where ladders are involved) and the failure of a fragile surface.
What you need to do
Working at height means any height from which people could fall and injure themselves. Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 & General Application Regulations 2007 place a duty on employers and contractors to ensure that all work at height is:
Properly planned and organised – including planning for emergencies and rescue
Assessed for risks using a hierarchy of control measures
Appropriately supervised
Done in a way that is – as far as is reasonably practical – safe
Always done by competent people, including managers and supervisors, who are appropriately trained and supervised
Done using appropriate equipment that is regularly inspected and maintained.
Keeping up to date with HSE and industry guidance will help you meet your duties under the Work at Height Regulations.
Hierarchy of control measures
For every task that needs to be done at height you need to assess the risk and put appropriate control measures in place. There is a hierarchy of control measures that you need to follow. You only move up the hierarchy when you decide that the control is not practicable.
Avoid the need to work at height, for example by using extending equipment from the ground
Prevent falls using appropriate access equipment such as work platforms or rope access
Reduce the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur.
If the system allows a fall, but stops you hitting the ground e.g. harness or safety net, a rescue method must be available and understood by all involved.
You should choose collective measures to prevent falls (such as mobile elevating work platforms – MEWPs) before other measures that may only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall (such as fall protection systems) or which may only provide personal protection from a fall.
If a MEWP (Mobile Elevating Work Platform) is provided, they must only be operated by trained, authorised persons, using the appropriate fall protection. There must always be someone on the ground, trained in the use of the ground controls, in the event that a rescue is needed.
Follow the safe system of work – It is there for your safety
Use guardrails correctly – Where guardrails are provided, do not store materials against them where they may fall through. Do not climb over the guardrails.
Use harnesses correctly – If you need to use a harness, make sure you know how to put it on, visually inspect it before use, and attach the lanyard to the correct anchorage points.
Use ladders correctly – they should be in god condition and only be used for light, short duration where 3 points of contact can be maintained (Make sure they are tied or footed and placed at an angle of 1 in 4.)
Report all concerns – inform your line manager/supervisor if you think the system of work is not safe
