Health And Safety While Working At Heights

There are a number of activities which involve working at heights including those which include ladders and scaffolds in construction and maintenance activities. There are many hazards and risks associated with such work and it is very important to be aware of all the health and safety issues involved.

Working At Height Regulations

The Working at Height Regulations 2005 is applicable to all situations where there is a chance that if a worker falls they could hurt themselves. The regulations stipulate that it is the employer or the individual in charge of managing the site, which could be the owner of the building or the facility manager, to ensure that rules are adhered to. The Working at Height Regulations 2007 were later introduced and are applicable to individuals who instruct or supervise people working at a height, for example in climbing for sport or recreation.

A s per the Working at Height Regulations, it is imperative that the individual in charge:

* makes sure that proper planning and organization has been put in place
* ensures that anyone involved with working at heights or recreation knows what they are doing
* assesses all the risks involved and ensures that the right equipment is being used
* checks that any fragile surface risks have been taken into consideration
* makes sure that any equipment used is regularly checked and maintained properly

Equipment For Those Working At Heights

The equipment selected and used for working at heights is vitally important. The right kind of equipment should be chosen so that it can help prevent falls from occurring. If the risk of falling cannot be completely eliminated then it is important to choose equipment which can reduce the distance and severity of injury should a fall happen. Such equipment includes guardrails and working platforms for preventing collective falls, nets and airbags for collective fall arrest, work restraints and rope access for personal fall protection and ladders.

Working At Height Courses

There are a number of training courses available to help employers and employees. These include

* Working at Height Training
* Working at Height Risk Assessment
* Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association (PASMA) Training
* Scaffolding Training
* International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Training
* Vehicle Operator Training

It is only through proper training and safety equipment that the risks of falling and injury can be minimized. It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that a proper risk assessment is carried out. All workers must be trained and use the appropriate safety equipment. If these steps are not carried out and an accident occurs, then the employer will be held legally responsible.

Although it is better to avoid working at heights, in certain circumstances this cannot be avoided. For example, for individuals who need to work on scaffolding, working at a height means that the worker is constantly at risk. Therefore, it is vitally important that fall prevention equipment is used and appropriate training is provided to ensure that risks are minimized.