Working at Height &

Improvement Opportunities

Health and Safety Department

Dubai Municipality Control Sector

BY: ENG RAED AL MARZOOQI,

OHS SECTION MANAGER -HSD
 AGENDA

A INTRODUCTION - STATISTICS & LEGISLATIONS

B UNSAFE CONDITIONS AND FALL FROM HEIGHT ACCIDENTS

C PREVENTING FALLS AND RELATED CHALLENGES

D FUTURE PLANS AND CONCLUSION

 INTRODUCTION
A STATISTICS
LEGISLATIONS
 ILO’S STATISTICS

“Every day, people die as a result of

occupational accidents or work-
related diseases (ILO)
More than 2.78 million deaths per year.

Additionally, there are some 374 million non-fatal work-

related injuries and illnesses each year, many of these
resulting in extended absences from work.

The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the

economic burden of poor occupational safety and health
practices is estimated at 3.94 % of global GDP each year”.
 WORLD STATISTICS

UK
Falls from a height accounted for
an average of 40 fatal injuries per
year (28% of the total) UK
(five years annual average RIDDOR
, 2012 – 2017)
Australia
Fall from height rate for last eight
years remain unchanged.
This number of deaths represented
12% of all worker deaths in that
period

Falls from height

continue to pose serious
Different
risks to the health and
safety of workers
Countries
worldwide !! Statistics
US Singapore
More than One third of the total
Falls — 384 out of 991 total
deaths reported, were due to
deaths in construction in fall from height in 2015 that is
Year 2016 (38.7%) 38 %
FALL FROM HEIGHTS & WEATHER FATALITIES (HEAT)

INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS * NOAA (US)

The Highest Fatalities in for 10 Year Average (2008- 2017)

Fall from Heights Statistics in 2016 ( Dubai)
9

8
** At the start of summer ,fall
7
from heights accidents increased
6
in Construction (2016)
5

January February March April May June July August September October November December
 HEAT STRESS (HIDDEN ISSUES)

FALL FROM HEIGHT INCIDENTS

(Hidden issues behind increase in fall from height…..Heat Stress …..

Risk of fall Impaired Visual Confusion leads Discomfort Heat Causes

from Physical Disorientation to ignore Safety causes people to poor
procedures lose their temper judgment
heights Performance
 HEAT STRESS VIDEO BY HEALTH & SAFETY DEPT. (2017)

WORLD CONGRESS ON SAFETY & HEALTH AT WORK 2017

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA FESTIVAL FOR PREVENTION, SINGAPORE

SAFE SUMMER
VIDEOS
 LEGISLATION – FEDERAL
Article (19) b- is about construction
work and scaffold requirement.

Article (1) - is
about duty of Article (10 )& (11) .
employer to Mentions about
protect their Ministerial requirement of barriers
employees
Order
32 /1982
Article (2) &
(3) , is about
( federal ) Article (7)h , is about
condition of work place
training and including mobile ladder
signage need requirement.

Article (9) , mentions requirement for employer to

put necessary precaution to protect worker from
the danger of falling, falling objects etc.
 LEGISLATION – LOCAL ORDERS

Local Order
61/1991,
Chapter
IV

Article Article Article

38 42 44

Workers
responsibility to
Responsibility advise employer Duties of
for Employer on dangers Health and
Employer’s Safety
responsibility to Inspectors
ensure danger is
controlled
 LEGISLATION – CODE OF PRACTICE(COP)

COP
CONSTRUCTION
SAFETY
PRACTICE

Chapter
Chapter
Chapter 11
14
8

• Item 4.2.8 safety Item 11.7

belts , lifelines and
lanyards Scaffolding Fall protection
• Item 4.2.9 Safety Safety
nets
 LEGISLATION – TECHNICAL GUIDELINES
Technical guidelines : Administrative Circular No 6:
• DM-PH&SD-P7- TG07 – Rope Access Work • Heat Stress Prevention
 UNSAFE CONDITIONS AND
B FALL FROM HEIGHT
ACCIDENTS
 FALL FROM HEIGHTS UNSAFE ACTS/CONDITIONS
FOUND DURING INSPECTIONS

UNSAFE WORK AT HEIGHT

Workers working on unprotected platform

without fall protection
 FALL ACCIDENTS
DEFECT IN WORK PLATFORMS

Cover all levels of

Destabilization
the platform with
of flooring
wooden boards
slabs together
(extra weight)
 FALL ACCIDENTS
DEFECT IN WORK PLATFORMS

• Moving the Scaffold • Unstable Scaffold /Structure

even though there
are workers or
materials on it
 FALL ACCIDENTS

• Avoid make - shift arrangements instead of appropriate and

suitable ladders
 FALL ACCIDENTS
Fall of workers from the edges of building
 FALL ACCIDENTS

Not covering the floor openings

 FALL ACCIDENTS
Not installing external protection or safety nets on the façades
 ACCIDENT ANALYSIS(MODEL) FALL FROM HEIGHT
An example of the analysis of an accident based on a model developed by the
Occupational Accident Research Unit (OARU) in Stockholm,

Accident prevention is typically accomplished through limitation or control of energies in the system or by
interposing barriers between the energies and the victim. ( Source-Kjellén and Hovden 1993)
 Leading Factors for Fall from Height Accidents

6. Weather Conditions 1. Risky Construction

06
Weather conditions ( e.g. Regionally Risky Construction Activities
construction workers face heat , cold, rain ,
or windy/dusty weather etc. )
01 ( e.g. Erecting /Dismantling of scaffolds,
Roofing, Painting, Plumbing etc

5. Organization 2. Individual Characteristics

05
Organization / Management
( e.g. small companies might have
improper safety measures /standards ) 02 Individual Characteristics
( e.g. demography, knowledge level ,
human behaviors, health)

4. Platforms /work support 3. Site Conditions

agents
Platforms / work support agents
(scaffolds- stationary or movable , ladders,
04 03 (e.g. unprotected walk ways, improper
guardrails, slippery or sloped surfaces ,
unexpected modification in surface
MEWP’s etc.) properties etc.

Note : Riskier work is usually conducted by small to medium sized companies rather than by large companies due to job distributions and time
planning/economizing. ( study out come)
C 1. PREVENTING FALLS
 Safety Strategies
1. On site 3. Job
2. Education and
Precautionary
measures Training Redesign

Prevention of Guardrails, Education on fall protection Suitable Arrangements for

Safety Nets , Daily equipments, fall prevention redesigning job tasks thus
inspection checklists, , MEWP’s etc eliminating hazards,
automation etc

Medical Surveillance Alerts, Signage's information Legislations & Internal Method of working
Occupational notices , Awards and Organization rules and Improvisation etc
Health Monitoring Recognitions etc regulation, SOP’s

4. Health 5. Safety 6. Safety 7. Research &

Protection Promotion Regulation Development
GENERAL SAFETY PRINCIPLES OF WORKING AT HEIGHT
GENERAL SAFETY PRINCIPLES OF WORKING AT HEIGHT
GENERAL SAFETY PRINCIPLES OF WORKING AT HEIGHT
GENERAL SAFETY PRINCIPLES OF WORKING AT HEIGHT
GENERAL SAFETY PRINCIPLES OF WORKING AT HEIGHT
 Prevention & Mitigation of Fall From Height Accidents

Controlled Access Zones Minimizing Hazardous

01 agents and Duration

06 02 Professionally Set up-

Warning Systems Platform /
Access equipments

Site Proactive Action Safety monitoring

e.g. guardrail, surface protection , PPE
(safety harness) , personnel fall arrest
05 03 system
systems
04
 Preventtion & Mitigation of Fall From Height Accidents

01 02 03 04

Design Specific Training on use Motivational

Training for
Courses construction Programs for
Unskilled
& Inspection Employees to
Workers
(eg. Safe Working
at height, Handling of of Scaffold Follow safety
Materials at height, Using Fall
( OHS Orientation
Safe working at
regulation
protection system etc) height)
 Preventtion & Mitigation of Fall From Height Accidents

Displaying signage, banners and Frequent revision of safety

posters, safety and health regulations and regular inspection
messages etc. 01 of sites

08 02
Shorten the period of workers
suffering form chronic diseases Continuous assessment of
( e.g. hypertension, heart diseases, anemia potential risk
, epilepsy etc.,)
07 03
Mitigating height operations when Systematic research on the behavior or
workers suffer from physical disorders individuals and groups and
(e.g. excessive fatigue, sleepiness ,
Depression, etc.)
06 04 construction companies

05
Improve ergonomics of the workplace
( e.g. comfortable temperature, modest Developing scaffolding erection
humidity , enough illumination level , noise and dismantling methods
reduction )
C 2. RELATED CHALLENGES
 Present Challenges

Summer Challenges
Multinational peoples Small
are engaged in work contractors

Different culture and High turnover

language barriers of workers

Less awareness on safety Lack of OHS

and related culture competencies
among staff

Differing Educational Lack of sufficient

levels among the competent safety
work force advice & supervisors
Lack of unified system on
safety across the UAE
D FUTURE PLANS
 OHS Control

04
03
02 COP
SUPERVISION
01 TRAINING
OHS LAW

08
07 ALERTS
06
05 VIDEOS
SAFETY
TGS OFFICER
POSTERS- FALL FROM HEIGHTS
NAPO Movies

As part of Year of Giving

and Year of Zayed, UAE
Concept & Financial
Support from DM in making
of
2 Videos on :
“ HEAT STRESS
PREVENTION”
A- Industries
B- Construction
 Further information :
For more valuable information:
VISIT THE DM WEBSITE ( HEALTH & SAFETY DEPARTMENT)
www.dm.gov.ae
Websites: :‫الموقع‬
--- Health and Public Safety---Health & Safety Publications ‫منشورات الصحة و السالمة‬--- ‫الصحة و السالمة العامة‬

Occupational Health and Safety Section

‫قسم الصحة و السالمة المهنية‬
(PHSD)
T: 04-6066010
T: 04-6066010

References:
1 – Model Accident analysis Source-Kjellén and Hovden 1993
2- NOAA, National Weather Service : http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml
 CONCLUSION

“ We Look Forward To Making Dubai The Safest City To Work Or Visit”

 THANK YOU!
Wish You All a Happy
Health and Safety
All The Times
& hope you have enjoyed the presentation!!

HEALTH & SAFETY DEPARTMENT

Occupational Health and Safety Section