1. Somerset Health and Safety Group Work at Height
John Caboche - HSE

2. The Work at Height Regs. 2005 Came into force on 6th April 2005.
These regulations consolidate good practice and current legislation
The good old days….

3. What is “Work at Height”?
A place where a person can be injured falling from – even if at or below ground level.
Work includes moving around at a place of work
Does not include travel to and from a place of work

4. The Regulations apply:-
To all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury
Duty applies to employers, self employed and any person who controls the work of others to the extent they control the work

5. General Duties Work must be properly planned and organised
Consider weather conditions
Ensure workers are trained and competent
Place of work is safe
Equipment is inspected
Risks from fragile surfaces are controlled
Risks from falling objects are controlled

6. Duties on Employer: -
Do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent anyone falling
Avoid work at height if possible
If not take all steps to prevent falls
Take all steps to reduce distance of fall (and consequences)

7. Planning
Ensure that no work is done at height if it does not have to be
Ensure work planned, supervised and undertaken in as safe a way as is reasonably practicable
Consider risk assessments carried out

8. Planning Postpone work if weather endangers health or safety
Ensure all workers are competent
If Trainees must be supervised by a competent person
Train those working at height now to avoid falling or minimise injury to themselves should they fall

9. Planning Place of work (including access) must be safe
Must have features to prevent a fall
UNLESS
The worker would then be unable to do the work safely due to demands of work, equipment used and working environment
BUT
The Employer must provide equipment to prevent a fall

10. Duties on Employee: - Report any safety hazard to employer
Use the equipment supplied correctly
Follow any training
Follow instructions – unless you think that would be unsafe

11. Equipment: - Most suitable Collective protection more that personal
Consider working conditions
Consider risks to safety of all those at the workplace

12. What Do The Schedules To The Regulations Cover?
Existing places of work and means of access for work at height
Schedule 2
Collective fall prevention (e.g. guard rails and toe boards)
Schedule 3
Working platforms (includes scaffolding)
Schedule 4
Collective fall arrest (e.g. nets, airbags etc.)
Schedule 5
Personal fall protection
Schedule 6
Ladders and step ladders
Schedule 7
Inspection reports
Schedule 8
Revocations (cancellations, dissolution)

13. Competency
Those working at height should be competent, with the appropriate:
Skill
Knowledge,
Ability,
Training
Experience,
Have authority to carry out the work task.
A truly competent person knows their LIMITATIONS

14. Risk Assessment
The Work at Height Regulations are risk based, i.e. if a risk is present the regulations apply.
Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations still applies.
Do a Risk Assessment.

15. Avoid – Prevent – Minimise
When planning work at height follow the Hierarchy of Control Methods.
AVOID work at height,
PREVENT falls,
MINIMISE the distance and consequences of falls.

16. Types Of Work Equipment
Remote operated equipment AVOID
Long handled tools
Permanent engineered platforms PREVENT
Scaffolding (tube & fitting)
M.E.W.P.’s
Scaffold towers
Temporary edge protection
Personal Fall Restraint systems
Collective Fall Arrest systems MINIMISE
Personal Fall Arrest systems
Ladders

17. Select the right work equipment
Always consider:
Working conditions,
Access & egress,
Distance & consequence a of fall,
Duration & frequency of work task,
Ease of rescue & evacuation,
Risks during installing, using & removing the proposed equipment.

18. Select the right work equipment
COLLECTIVE PROTECTION
before
PERSONAL PROTECTION
Safe working platforms before personal work restraint equipment.
Nets & airbags before personal fall arrest equipment.

19. Select The Right Work Equipment
Prevent
Collective
Safe Working
Platforms
Minimise
Personal
Nets
Airbags
Work
Restraint
Rope Access
Fall Arrest
Ladders
Stilts
Hop-ups

20. What else to consider? Avoid fragile surfaces,
Assess strength of platforms,
Prevent falling objects,
Inspect equipment,
Inspect place of work,
Danger areas.

21. AVOID If you don’t have to go up there, DON’T GO!
Is the work task necessary?
Can the problem be engineered away?
Is the use of special tools possible?

22. PREVENT Prevent falls by using or creating safe working areas.
Use an existing place of work or means of access
Use the most suitable way of working
Select the most suitable equipment
Proactively prevents falls from happening by using guardrails, warning lines, hole covers

23. MEWPS - example
The MEWP is designed to provide a temporary working platform which can be easily moved from one location to another.
It’s particularly suitable for short duration work where the use of a ladder would be unsafe and erection of scaffolding would be time consuming and impracticable

24. MINIMISE Minimise the distance and consequences of falls.
Use the most suitable way of working,
Select the most suitable equipment,
Take other measures to prevent injury,
e.g. instruction, information, training & supervision.

25. NEBOSH National Diploma Unit C
Air Bags / Bean Bags
Designed to reduce number of injuries and deaths in falls from height.
Cushioned re-usable air bags m high - weigh less than 7kg each.
Can be filled with foam enabling them to retain original shape.
They provide a yielding surface on which to fall.
Position bags correctly before work commences.
Clip bags together to prevent separation when falling on the junction.
© RRC Training

26. Air Bags / Bean Bags
They should be checked when re-positioned or after a fall to ensure there’s no damage.
Other control measures must be in place to prevent falls.
Bags are a last resort.
N.B. a fall, even on a ‘safe’ place could be very stressful and traumatic.

27. Personal Fall Protection
Remember that you need to create a system, comprising of:
Body Holding Device
Means of Connection
Suitable/Reliable Anchorage Point

28. Body Holding Devices Restraint Belt Work Positioning Belt
Fall Arrest Harness
Combination Harness

29. Restraint Belt Adjustable to fit Fall prevention ONLY
Can accept static load ONLY
Limited use

30. Restraint Lanyard Fixed length or Adjustable length
Short enough to prevent worker from falling
Can accept static load ONLY

31. Restraint Lanyard Key: 1 – Working distance
2 – Harness attachment point
3 – Anchor Point
4 – Restraint lanyard
5 – Danger area

32. Work Positioning Belt Adjustable to fit Not for Fall Arrest
Can accept static load ONLY
Limited use
A fall could still occur

33. Work Positioning Lanyard
Fixed length or Adjustable length
Used to secure worker in a position of work
Can accept static load ONLY

34. Work Positioning Lanyard
Key:
Safety back-up personal fall protection system attached to structure
Work positioning lanyard looped round the structure
Work positioning lanyard attached to side waist attachment point on work positioning belt

35. Fall Arrest Harness Adjustable to fit Capable of taking a dynamic load
Rear attachment point is standard
Front attachment point is optional

36. Fall Arrest Lanyard
EN 354 lanyard with EN 355 Energy Absorber attached
Limits impact force
Fixed or adjustable lengths
Single or twin legs

37. Fall Arrest
Limits free fall to within 2 vertical metres of the initiation point which reduces force by decreasing fall distance
Consists of a(n)
Lanyard
Anchorage Point
Full Body Harness
Attachment Strap
Fall Protection
Need: lanyard, full body harness, attachment strap, connecting device.
Ask: “How can a fall arrest shorten the distance of a fall?”
Answer: A fall arrest system allows the person to fall a maximum of 2 metres.
Fall arrest systems consist of the following: (Illustrate by showing an example of each component except for an anchorage point).
lanyard
anchorage
full body harness
attachment strap(webbing tie off)
connecting device
NOTE: keep the lanyard in your hand for the next slide

38. Fall Protection Lanyards should: Be inspected prior to use
Be protected against being cut or abraded
Have a minimum breaking strength of 2270kg
Be the appropriate length
Be attached to an anchorage not to itself
Fall Protection
Need: lanyard, attachment strap
Use the lanyard to illustrate when explaining bullets:
Stress the importance of protecting the lanyard from rubbing on rough surfaces when in use. Let them know you can put something under the lanyard such as a piece of carpet, etc. if need be.
State that all lanyards in use at JE automatically meet this requirement (5000 lbs breaking strength)
Demonstrate while explaining not to wrap an anchorage around a beam and attach it to itself (this is when you use the attachment strap)
Different lengths will be necessary to provide adequate protection. The individual is responsible to ensure the length of the lanyard will not allow a fall over 2 metres or less, depending on the hazard.

39. Fall Arrest Lanyard How far can you fall? Calculate:
Original lanyard length (max 2 metres)
Amount of Energy Absorber deployment
Body size from D-ring to feet
Safety zone from feet to floor

40. Minimum Free Space 2 metre lanyard clipped low gives 4 metre free fall
anchorage
lanyard
energy absorber(extended) 1
Lanyard length + energy absorber extension = 3.75m
Harness stretch + distance between harness attachment point and feet = 1.50m
Safety clearance = 1.00m
Minimum Free Space ( ) =6.25m 2 3

41. Connectors
There are many types of connectors – ensure that the correct one is used.

42. Connecting Methods

43. Fall Protection Anchorage Point
A secure point of attachment for lifelines, lanyards or deceleration devices
Fall Protection
State that your personal fall arrest system is only as strong as your anchorage.
Ask: “Give me an example of an unacceptable anchorage point.”
List participants’ examples on the flipchart using a marker.
Examples include (point these out in the room, if possible):
electrical conduit
chemical / gas lines
fire protection piping
pace grid
each other
cable trays

44. Fall Protection
Anchorage points used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment should be:
Located at or above the employee’s waist
Capable of supporting more than 2270kg per employee
Designed and built to hold the maximum force of the fall arrest
Fall Protection
Ask: “Why should an anchorage be at or above your waist?”
Answer: Free fall must be limited to 2 metres. The D-ring is at your back and the lanyard is 2 metres in length. A lower attachment point will allow you to free fall a farther distance.
Illustrate the above point holding the lanyard (pretend it is attached to you). You can also illustrate this point using the flip chart and markers.
Discuss the 5000 lbs capacity and the safety factor rating. A safety factor rating of 2 is on a case by case basis (when there is not an anchorage to tie off to with a 5000 lbs capacity) and only with approval of a structural engineer, safety engineer and supervisor.
Before changing slides explain to the class that the higher the anchorage, the shorter the fall.

45. Transportable Devices

46. Retractable Type Fall Arrester
Limited fall ONLY
Standard Block – internal energy absorber
Mini Block – external energy absorber

47. Retractable Type Fall Arrester
Anchor Point
Connector
Retractable Device
Harness D-ring
Fall Arrest Harness
Connecting point (Swivel?)
Housing
Fall Indicator
Cable/Lanyard (Life Line)
Connector (Swivel?)

48. Retractable Type Fall Arrester
Dangers surround the use of these with a low anchor point
Follow manufacturer’s guidelines
Dangers surround the use of these with a flexible anchorage line
Oscillation may stop device locking off
Be careful of sharp edges

49. Combination Harnesses
Combine Fall Arrest and Work Positioning body holding devices
EN 361 & 358
Adjustable to fit
Capable of taking a dynamic load

50. Guided Type Fall Arrester
Rigid life line – usually installed
Flexible life line – installed or temporary

51. Guided Type Fall Arrester
Key
Upper anchor
2 Temporarily installed flexible vertical line
Guided type fall arrester
4 Tensioning weight
5 Unused portion of anchor line
In this situation there is a danger of swinging past the vertical should a fall occur.
Correct positioning of the upper anchor connector would eliminate this.

52. Use of Fall Protection P.P.E.
If you issue Fall Arrest Equipment then you MUST consider rescue

53. Rescue From Height Always consider:
Type of fall (straight drop or swing),
Distance of free fall & impact force,
Time to effect rescue,
Lift back up or lower down?
Medical treatment/Hospitalisation,
Training for rescue personnel & regular practice sessions,
Relying on County Fire Service is unacceptable

54. What I see a lot of….

55. What I see a lot of….

56. What I see a lot of….

57. What I see a lot of….

58. Work at Height Accidents don’t always kill… Ladder Fall