WORKING AT HEIGHT SAFETY AT HEIGHT
In this guide, roofing expert Daniel Osbourne at
MyJobQuote.co.uk explains the practical steps you should take to reduce risks and boost safety when working at height.
Slips, trips and falls account for around a third of workplace injuries in the UK. This statistic may be a worry if you or your employees regularly use scaffolds and ladders. However, if you understand how to stay safe when working at height, this needn’t be the case.
WHAT DOES WORKING AT HEIGHT MEAN?
If you’re a new business or have just entered the workplace, you may not be familiar with the safety rules associated with working off the ground. So, it’s useful to start by outlining what is meant by ‘working at height’.
Any place above ground level that a worker could fall from and injure themselves is considered a ‘height’. So, painting up a ladder, working on a roof or cleaning windows on a platform are all examples of working at height. If there are edges you could fall from, or openings, fragile surfaces and holes you could fall through, this is also considered working at height.
WHO NEEDS TO KNOW AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? Understanding how to work at height safely is the best way to avoid injuries and fatalities in the workplace. It’s also a legal requirement. Employers and other responsible people, such as facilities managers, factory owners and contractors, must adhere to The Work at Height Regulations 2005.
This means you should ensure all work is planned out properly and completed with the correct equipment. Furthermore, the work must only be carried out by those skilled enough to do it. Any work at height should also be adequately supervised.
It’s not just employers that need to be responsible. Employees must follow the safety measures and work
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practices that their employer has put in place. This means using the PPE supplied to you and using guardrails and other safety features as intended. You also have a duty to report hazards and problems.
WAYS TO PROTECT PEOPLE WORKING AT HEIGHT
There are two main ways to protect people when they’re working at height: collective protection and personal protection. To maximise safety, both of these methods should be used.
COLLECTIVE PROTECTION Collective protection is best described as safety measures and features that protect groups of people rather than just individuals. This could be safety nets over voids to prevent injury from falls or guardrails on scaffolds, scissor lifts and platforms to prevent falls.
PERSONAL PROTECTION Personal protection is safety equipment and protective clothing that an individual can use to reduce the risk of falls and injury when working at height. This includes fall restraint and fall arrest equipment, such as full body harnesses, lanyards and anchors. This equipment helps to stabilise workers and prevents them from coming to harm if they fall. Other personal protection might include hard hats, high-vis jackets and non-slip boots.
SAFETY STEPS FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT Here are the steps you should follow when working at height:
Step 1: Consider if there’s a way to avoid working at height. Could you use telescopic or long-handled brushes, rollers and lances to reach ceilings, gutters and other high features? Or could you lower items to
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