Working at height can be a hazardous activity, particularly if it is not approached with care and attention. To protect life and limb, there are various rules, regulations and guidelines that should be followed whenever you or your employees are working above ground level.
Read on for an overview of working at height, safely and responsibly...
Working at height, as defined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is 'work in any place where, if precautions are not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
This includes working above the ground or floor level, or where the worker could fall from an edge, through a hole or through a fragile or breakable surface. The HSE states that working at height is one of the biggest causes of major injuries and deaths in the workplace – it is because of this that there are various rules in place to minimise the likelihood of accidents occurring.
For these regulations, ‘fragile surfaces’ might include:
According to the HSE and RIDDOR legislation (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013):
The law that deals with working at height is enshrined in The Work at Height Regulations, 2005. This is a dense document that deals with everything from the types of surfaces that people work either by, on or near to the equipment they use and the inspection and maintenance schedule that must be followed.
The key foundational rules that must be followed are:
An emphasis on risk avoidance and training is at the core of the rules regarding working from height. The first thing you need to ask yourself is always, ‘is working from height necessary here?’. If you can bring the work that needs doing to ground level or manipulate the required tools on a long-handle from ground level, you should always do so. Similarly, suppose there are elements of the task that can be completed at ground level before going up a ladder or using a platform. In that case, go up a ladder or use a platform. This should always be done – if you cannot avoid working at height, then minimise the amount of time above ground.
Next is training. Employees need to be made aware of the dangers of working at height and be trained in every part of the process – the correct use of lifting equipment or ladders (including the suitable types of ladder for different jobs), how to check and use safety harnesses and PPE, and how to physically conduct the task (no stretching out over a void, for example). Training should occur before a person is permitted to work at height for the first time and periodically after that to ensure that complacency or shortcuts have not crept into the work pattern.
For your risk assessment, you can use any of the free templates available through a Google search or the HSE template, which is available here. Some degree of risk assessment needs to be completed every day and in every location – for example, one part of a roof may provide a higher risk than another part. Monitoring weather conditions is crucial when working outside at height: rain, snow, ice, and wind are all contributors to falling accidents.
When it comes to ensuring that objects and equipment do not fall, it is impractical to ensure that every screwdriver, hammer or paint can is secured safely. A good way of reducing the risks here is to implement an ‘exclusion zone’ around the base of the area – that way, if something does get dropped, no one should be injured.
Plan for the worst – what will you do if someone does fall from a height? Do you have emergency or rescue procedures in place to deal with such an event?
Ladders and other height equipment have manufacturer’s guidelines supplied with them – these will include safe usage instructions and maximum weight capacity information. Be sure to follow these guidelines to the letter.
Do not use ladders, scaffolding or other ‘at height’ equipment in inclement weather.
When using a ladder, always adopt the ‘three points of contact’ rule – both feet and one hand should always be in contact with the ladder.
Never stand on the top platform or upper rungs of a ladder because there is an increased risk of overbalancing.
Richard O'Connor is a Director at First Mats. He has deep knowledge in areas like Manufacturing, Warehousing, Marine, and Health & Safety. Richard's insights have been featured in well-known publications such as Bloomberg Business, The Sun, and Reader's Digest. His blend of industry expertise and passion for sharing makes him a sought-after voice in his fields.
