WORKING at HEIGHTS

If only I was
wearing a
safety
harness !!
 Working at Heights
Presentation Contents

 Introduction
 Ladder Safety
 Safe Roofwork
 Scaffolding
 Mobile Scaffolds
 Mobile Elevated Working Platforms
 Fall Speed v’s Reaction Time
 Fall Protection
Falls are the number one cause of fatalities in the
construction industry accounting for approximately 56% of
all fatalities THE PAST
All employees shall be protected from falls of 2m or more
by the use of an approved fall protection system

Railings are required at permanent elevated locations

greater than or equal to 1.3m
 Lethal Ladders:
Make sure the ladder is:-
 Right for the job. Would
scaffolding or a cherry picker be
better?
 In good shape.
 Secured near the top.
 On a firm base and footing: 4 up
– 1 out
 Rising at least 1 meter beyond
the landing place OR that there is
a proper hand hold.
 Always have a firm grip on the
ladder and keep a good balance.
 Keep you hands free and tools in
a shoulder bag or belt attachment
 Lethal Ladders:
Use of Ladders:-
 Work should only be carried out
from a ladder when the job is of
short duration and can be carried
out safely.
 For added safety the base of the
ladder should be staked or buried
to prevent slipping.
 Ensure your footware is free
from excessive mud or grease
before you climb up the ladder.
 ALWAYS Face the ladder.
 Lethal Ladders:
Hazards of Ladders:-
 Don’t stand ladder on drum, box
or other unstable base
 Never attempt to repair broken
ladders
 Never carry loads up ladders –
hoist it up
 Ladder rungs must not be used as
improvised ramps
 When using metel or metal-
reinforced ladders, make sure
there are no electrical hazards in
the near vicinity
 Ladder Safety
“No matter how quickly a job can be
done, there is always time to fall”

Unsafe Safe
 The Roof: A Risky Place To Be
Before Working on Roofs:-
 Fragile materials should be
identified and precautions decided
 Roof edge barriers (or scaffolds)
must be erected tp prevent people
and materials falling
 Access ladders must be a safe
distance above the stepping-off point
and must be secured
 Where access ladders rise above
9meters a safe intermediate platform
must be provided
 The Roof: A Risky Place To Be
Hazards of Working on Roofs:-
 If you can fall more than 2 meters, guardrails and toe
boards must be erected
 Hazards resulting from adverse weather conditions must
be anticipated, and suitable precautions taken
 Wet windy or Icy
weather can seriously
affect safety

Scaffolding
Using ladders or scaffolding without proper fixing is
crazy
 Putting up scaffolding, removing ties and taking it down
again is a job for trained and experienced scaffolders.
Leave it to them
 Never use incomplete scaffolding
always inspect before use
 Make sure there is safe access,
hand rails and toe boards at all
edges
 Things fall on sites, wear your
helmet
 Always ensure the GREEN TAG
before using the scaffolding
 Mobile Scaffold Towers
Before Erection:
 Check all components are in good condition
 Check wheels for effective rotation
 Check brakes and locking devices work
correctly
 Prior to erecting towers on suspended floors,
ensure bearing capacity of floor is sufficient
for the planned load
Before Use:
 Ensure the tower is vertical and square
 Towers must not be used unless the wheels
are locked
 Check that outriggers are set correctly and
secured
 Ensure the platform is fully boarded out and
guardrails and toe boards are fitted if working
platform is over 2 meters
Mobile Elevated Work Platforms
Mobile Elevated Work Platforms
 Do not operate without pre-use inspection and unless you are trained
 Check condition of tyres, toe boards and guardrails, look for leaking hydraulic
fluids
 Look out for overhead obstructions such as power cables, unstable ground, other
equipment or personnel near-by
 Only use on firm level ground, make sure outriggers are properly extended and
chocked before raising the platform
 Always wear a safety harness secured to the platform by lanyard. Safety means
staying in the basket and not climbing on the guardrails
 Place barricades and warning signs around the planned working radius
 Traveling with a boom, is always in the direction of travel and at creep speed and
only if equipment is designed to allow this
 Know what to do if machine fails with platform in raised position
 FALL SPEED V’s REACTION TIME
In 1 second your body
will fall 10m

•Good body reaction time

= 0.2 seconds
•Travel distance in
0.2 seconds = 2m
By the time you react your body will be
2m below where you were standing
 Fall Protection
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
Lanyard

A device made of rope, wire or nylon strap used to

connect the individual to an anchorage point and stop the
individual in the event of a fall

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

Safety Equipment for Fall-Arrest
Shock Absorbing Lanyards:
Material in the pack tears
absorbing shock and reducing
risk of injury.
Available with web or rope
lanyards.

Twin Tailed Lanyard:

Expandable Lanyard:
Especially useful for
scaffolds, steel erectors
and construction
workers where tripping
might be a risk.
The expandable twin
tailed lanyard is an
ideal choice for
situations where
100% tie-off is
required.
 Fall Protection
Anchorage Point

A secure point of attachment for

lifelines, lanyards or deceleration devices

Anchorage points used for attachment of

personal fall arrest equipment must 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

Full body harness:

• The attachment point of a body harness is
located in the center of the wearer’s back
near shoulder level
• Body belts are not allowed on sites
• Snaphooks shall be a double locking-type
WHAT YOU NEED?
 Full body harness complete with rear dorsal ring (EN 361)
 1.75m fixed length lanyard (EN 362)
 Shock absorbing device (EN 355)
 55mm opening scaffold hook for one handed operation (EN
362)
 Fall Protection
Care for fall arrest systems:
• After a fall arrest, the equipment will no
longer be used (equipment will be disposed
of or destroyed)
• Clean equipment after use
• Air dry equipment, do not hang in direct
sunlight
• Store equipment in a cool, dark, dry well
ventilated place
 Working at Heights

No job is so important that it cannot be done safely

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE

PERSONS WORKING ON THIS SITE TO
PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER

BEST - BE Safe Today