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Working at Height Presentation

Working at height involves any activity where there is potential to fall, including working on ladders, scaffolding, or elevated platforms. Falls from height can cause serious injury or death. Proper planning, equipment selection, training, exclusion zones, and rescue plans are needed to manage the risks of working at height. Equipment like harnesses and lanyards must be regularly inspected and used correctly.

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149 views

Working at Height Presentation

Working at height involves any activity where there is potential to fall, including working on ladders, scaffolding, or elevated platforms. Falls from height can cause serious injury or death. Proper planning, equipment selection, training, exclusion zones, and rescue plans are needed to manage the risks of working at height. Equipment like harnesses and lanyards must be regularly inspected and used correctly.

Uploaded by

kashifbutty2k
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WORKING AT HEIGHT

What is working at height?


 Working at height is any activity where the potential of a
fall exists
 Falls from height can occur anywhere – even on the ground
Working at height activities include:

 Wearing a harness  Operating mobile elevated work


platforms (MEWPs)

 Using ladders /step ladders


 Scaffolding
What are the risks?
 Unguarded platforms/openings leading to falls
 Unstable ground conditions leading to structure collapse
 Unsecured tools / equipment on lifts or working platforms
 Unauthorised access to
 Lack of barricading leading to people under suspended loads
 Failure of lifting equipment
 Overhead power lines or electrical conductors
 Traffic /work near roads risk of persons being struck
 Lack of training and competency leading to injury / fatality
 Suspension trauma
What are the influences?
 Equipment not used / unavailable
 No physical barriers – barricades / fencing
 Poor housekeeping
 Inadequate / no exclusion zones (drop zones)
 Inadequate / no Supervision
 Insufficient / no planning & hazard ID
 Insufficient training for the task
 Incorrect protection / equipment choices
 Incorrect use or set-up of equipment
 Unwillingness to change the way a task is carried out
What are the potential consequences?

 Serious life threatening injury / death


 Permanent disability
 Loss of income
 Impact on family, friends, work colleagues
(Ripple effect)
 Prosecution individual / company
What are our legal obligations?

 Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 - Primary duty of care


 Regulations
 Notifiable Work
Key steps to managing risk
 Identify scope of work
 Identify task(s) to be done
 Identify hazards associated with task(s)
 Assess the initial risk
 Develop controls
 Assess residual risk
 Monitor and review controls
Equipment – Best Practice Use
Consider the hierarchy of controls when selecting equipment.
Equipment – Best Practice Use

Group controls isolate multiple workers from the risk of


falling.
Examples include:
 Scaffolding
 Edge protection
 Mechanical access plant
 Safety mesh
Equipment – Best Practice Use

Personal controls should only be considered when group controls are not
practicable.
Examples include:
 Harness systems
 Temporary work platforms

Ladders and stepladders do not offer fall protection and should be the last form
of work access equipment to be considered.
Equipment – Best Practice Use
As equipment is identified, it is important to consider
the following:
 Working conditions
 Distances to be negotiated for access and egress
 Distances and consequences of a fall
 Duration and frequency of use
 Rescue
 Additional risk posed by the installation and
removal of work equipment
Inspection Frequencies of Equipment

Item Frequency

•Personal equipment including •Before and after each use.


harnesses, lanyards, connectors, fall •By a height safety operator or – if not
arrest devices including common use competent – by another competent
devices person.
•Harnesses, lanyards, associated
personal equipment.
•6 monthly inspection.
•Fall arrest devices (external
•By a height safety equipment inspector
inspection only)
•Ropes and slings
Item Frequency

•Anchorages – •12 monthly inspection


Drilled in type or •As recommended by manufacturer to a maximum of 5
attached to timber years
frames •12 monthly inspection in the absence of such
•Anchorages – Other recommendation
types •By a height safety equipment inspector

•As recommended by manufacturer to a maximum of 5


years
Fall arrest devices –
•12 monthly service in the absence of such
Full service
recommendation
•By a height safety equipment inspector
Item Frequency

•As recommended by manufacturer to a


maximum of 5 years
•Horizontal and Vertical Lifelines –
•12 monthly service in the absence of such
steel rope or rail
recommendation
•By a height safety equipment inspector

•Horizontal and Vertical Lifelines – •6 monthly inspection


Fibre rope / web •By a height safety equipment inspector

•All items that have been stressed as •Check Manufacturer specifications and take in
a result of a fall to be checked by a height safety inspector.
Training – Competencies & Limitations
Harness work
 All harness work requires training and competence.
 WorkSafe NZ recommends NZQA Unit Standards for workers involved
in installing and using harness systems
 Untrained personnel should be inducted and supervised by qualified
persons

Other training considerations


 Scaffolding
 Mechanical access plant
 Rescue
Dropped Objects Management
 Primary:
 Tool lanyards 100% hook on or hard barrier platforms for drops protection
 Rated self closing tool bags to transport tools /equipment up stairs
 Storage bins to hold tools / equipment
 High standard of housekeeping

 Secondary:
 Hard barrier exclusion zones
 Designated drop zones for lifting / scaffolding
 Hard barrier protection over walkways
 No-go zones
 Never stand under suspended loads
Exclusion zones
 Identify all possible simultaneous operations above
and/or below work area
 If there is potential for objects to fall from height,
set up an exclusion zone to keep other people out of
the area
 The radius of the exclusion zone should equal 33% of
the height from directly below/above the work area
( ).
Getting equipment to height

Determine how tools/equipment will be lifted to height


during job planning stages.

Considerations:
 Competent personnel
 Rated lifting equipment
 Area below lift
 Don’t overload
Fall Arrest System Rescue Plan
 Emergency Situations:
 Sudden medical event, trip, or slip causing a
worker to fall and be suspended in a harness.
 Requires rescue retrieval within minutes to
prevent suspension trauma.

 Working at Height Rescue Plan – key elements:


 JSA - Pre-planning
 Communications – verbal / radio
 Rescue plan discussed prior to work starting
 Plan reviewed throughout job.
 Equipment – Gotcha Kit (Photo) onsite
 Competent personnel – NZQA 23229 / 15757
 Prevention controls (suspension trauma straps)
Case Study 1 – Working at
Height with no Harness
• Scissor lift use for steel framing
inspection
• Individual identified unsecured
bolt
• Individual climbed out of EWP
without harness
• Potential for 10m fall onto
concrete
Case Study 2 - Scaffolding
ground support workers need to
be trained and assessed as
competent
 Scaffold team erecting scaffold
 Ground support worker rested 3m
scaffold ledger against scaffold in
readiness to pass up to
scaffolders
 Scaffolder instead requested
more scaffold clips
 Second ground support person
walked over to collect scaffold
clips
 As ground support person lent
over to pick up clips, scaffold
ledger slid over sideways.
 Scaffold ledger hit workers hip,
causing bruising.
References:

• https://besafe.nz/working-at-height-best-practice
• http://www.vesi.com.au/files/WorkPractice
s/Guidance_Note_for_Drop_Zone_Manage
ment_within_the_VESI_-_February_2016.pd
f
- VESI 33% of working height
•  
http://dropsonline.org/assets/documents/
DROPS-Recommended-Practice-2017.pdf
- Drops Prevention Program

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