xiv UK Focus - Health and Safety
Health & Safety: Platforms used in Emission Monitoring – a System for Recording Inspections
The Work at Height Regulations came into force on 6th April 2005. These regulations cover all industries. The Regulations cover elevated work platforms (including scaffolding and permanent platforms), fragile surfaces (e.g. roofs), and any ladders, gangways and stairways used to get to the elevated workplace.
This means that nearly all segments of industry and the power sector are affected:
The STA have available the StackTAG system for elevated permanent platforms. Similar to the ScaffTag system for scaffolding the StackTAG can be fitted to the base of the platform and will have details of all surveys and inspections.
• Monitoring organisations - when carrying out periodic stack emissions measurements from elevated workplaces;
• Instrument manufacturers and suppliers - when installing, servicing and calibrating Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMs);
• Regulators and UKAS staff - when carrying out audits for compliance checking purposes, MCERTS accreditation and OMA assessments; and
• Process operators - because the responsibility for ensuring the elevated workplace is safe and has been inspected falls largely on them.
organisation, planning, supervision and inspection).
The Regulations also contain specific provisions relating to falling objects and danger areas, inspection of work equipment and inspection of elevated workplaces.
Working on platforms at chimney stacks
The Regulations contain a number of Schedules describing the specific requirements for existing places of work (encompassing some permanent access to ducts and includes what STA term as permanent platforms at stacks), working platforms (includes temporary platforms created for the job in hand using scaffolding etc), guard rails, ladders, and inspection.
For all working platforms, the requirements focus on the need for the working platform to be of sufficient strength and rigidity, and for the supporting structure to be stable and of sufficient strength and rigidity and resting on a suitable surface. Other conditions cover dimensions of the platform and safety features (e.g. no gaps).
There are specific regulations requiring the employer to carry out inspections of work equipment and pre-use checks of places of work.
Working platforms and associated guard rails, barriers, toe-boards, ladders, etc., must be inspected at the following frequencies:
i. After assembly/ installation but before use;
ii. At suitable intervals where there has been exposure to conditions causing deterioration;
iii. At each time an exceptional circumstance has occurred which is liable to jeopardise its safety; and
Important features of the regulations The regulations apply to:
• Work in any place (this includes any place above or below ground level) where, if measures required by these regulations were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury;
• An employer in relation to work carried out by an employee of his; and by any other person under his control. Self-employed people are also covered.
Author/Contact Details: Source Testing Association
Unit 11, Theobald Business Centre Knowl Piece, Wilbury Way Hitchin, SG4 0TY United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1462 457535 Email:
stacktag@s-t-a.org Web:
www.s-t-a.org
The regulations require the employer to: • Avoid carrying out work at height where reasonably practicable;
• Take appropriate measures to protect against fall, if work at height has to be carried out;
• Work equipment to be used as the safety measure(s) must be selected , giving collective protection measures priority over personal protection measures, in the order of the following hierarchy;
• Ensure the work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a way that is safe as is reasonably practicable. This includes selection of the most appropriate work equipment for the task in hand, taking into account the risks associated with its installation, use and dismantling including rescue requirements, emergencies and adverse weather conditions;
• Ensure competent persons carry out all activities (including
within 7 days prior to use if the platform is one from which a person could fall more than 2 metres, is used for construction work, or is a mobile platform.
Furthermore, on each occasion before any elevated workplace is used, the employer must check the surface, and every parapet, permanent rail or other such fall protection measure.
This regulation requires that the employer’s inspection is recorded and kept until the next inspection. Inspection is stated as meaning “such visual or more rigorous inspection by a competent person as to be appropriate for safety purposes. This includes any testing appropriate for those purposes”. A specific schedule lists the particulars to be included in the report of inspection.
The next step
The STA have available the StackTAG system for elevated permanent platforms. Similar to the ScaffTag system for scaffolding the StackTAG can be fitted to the base of the platform and will have details of all surveys and inspections.
IET September / October 2014
www.envirotech-online.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
