Safety related to work at height. Legal obligations and good practice.

Falls from heights are responsible for many serious and fatal injuries each year. If a person falls from a height of more than six feet, the likelihood of serious injury is high.

Many work activities involve working at height (vertical work). Working from ladders, scaffolding and platforms are obvious examples, but there are many more activities where people are required to work at height.

Some examples are work on roofs, work on tanks and pits, on the edge of elevated structures or on vehicles or trailers.

The risks of vertical work

The main hazards associated with working at heights are falling people and objects that may fall on people at lower levels.

This may occur as a result of inadequate edge protection, or objects in storage that are poorly secured.

Maintenance and construction workers and many others in a variety of jobs could be at risk of falling from heights on the job. Examples include: painters, decorators and window cleaners and those who perform one-off jobs without proper training, planning or equipment.

Another concern is the road transport industry: how to prevent falls from tanks or vehicles.

Legal obligations regarding work at height

In addition to the moral duty of employers to protect employees and members of the public, the Occupational Risk Prevention Legislation (ORL) covers all employers, workers and workplaces.

In addition, there are some general requirements in other regulations relating to work at height.

These regulations cover all aspects of the workplace. They include the requirement that employers ensure that all areas where people may fall from a height are properly guarded or covered.

The main objective of these regulations is to encourage the avoidance of working at height where possible and where it cannot be avoided to use the best practicable means to ensure the safety of those working at height.

Assessment of the risks of working at height

If work at height cannot be avoided, a risk assessment should be carried out before any work at height is undertaken.

The assessment should highlight the measures to be taken to ensure that persons are not at risk of falling from a height while performing vertical work.

The risks associated with working at height should be assessed. The Health and Safety Executive recommends a five-step approach to risk assessment, and the risk of slips, trips and falls should also be considered.

• Step one Look for hazards associated with falls from heights around the workplace. Where are people required to work at height? Do you work from unprotected or fragile stairs, platforms, scaffolding or roofs?
• Step two It decides who might be harmed and how. Who enters the workplace? Are they at risk? Are some groups more at risk than others?
• Step three Consider the risks. Are measures already in place to deal with the risks? Look for areas with unprotected openings or without railings and roofs. Are there regular inspections?
• Step four Record your findings if you have five or more employees.
• Step five Review the assessment regularly. If significant changes occur, make sure that precautions are still appropriate to address the risks.

Good practice

Stairs: Stairs are acceptable only for short-term access or work. They should be:

• Standing at the right angle (4:1)
• Secured (preferably on top) or with legs
• Position close to work to avoid overreach
• Be sufficiently protected at the base of any ladder or access equipment to prevent pedestrians or vehicles from tripping over them.

Stairs by hand: When using ladders, the following precautions must be taken:

• Always open them to the maximum and lock them
• Do not work on top of platforms
• Make sure your feet rest on a stable surface
• Only one person must be on the ladder at a time
• The ladder must be suitable and of the correct quality for the intended use.

Access equipmentThe following:

• Any equipment hired must be fit for purpose. Rental companies must provide information on the risks involved.
• All access equipment must be properly maintained and periodically inspected
• Those who build and use access equipment must be competent and training should be provided whenever necessary
• Precautions should be taken to avoid falling objects or people
• Do not increase range by placing ladders on the access equipment.

Mobile elevated platformsThe following:

• Use the platform only on flat and firm surfaces
• Use only equipment with stabilizers
• Working with a trained operator at ground level
• Safety harnesses must be worn while on the platform
• Keep the rig within safe operating limits and radius, taking into account wind speeds.

Scaffolding towersScaffolding towers shall:

• To be erected by a competent person
• Have a height to base ratio not exceeding 3 to 1 indoors, or 2,5 to 1 outdoors
• Have stabilizers deployed as needed to meet the correct height/base ratio
• Use stabilizers or stabilizers if above 2.5 m in height
• Have all wheels firmly locked before use
• Have ladder access to the work platform
• Never move while the tower is occupied
• Be inspected and maintained regularly.

Safety lines, harnesses and nets: Fall arrest and restraint equipment, such as nets, energy absorbers, harnesses, etc., should only be considered as a last resort when no other means are reasonably practicable.

They should only be used and erected by trained and regularly tested and inspected personnel.