POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT-HSE DOCUMENTS

 

The policy and Procedures for Working at Height are uploaded by HSE Documents. Working at height is a critical aspect of many industries, and it comes with inherent risks. To ensure the safety and well-being of employees, companies must have comprehensive policies and procedures in place. Below is some information that will you get answers and related information after reading the full article?

 

1. Working at height policy

2. Height safety procedures

3. Fall protection guidelines

4. Working at height regulations

5. Height safety best practices

6. Working at height training

7. Height safety equipment

8. Fall arrest systems

9. Height safety inspection

10. Working at height permits

11. Height safety awareness

12. Working at height risk assessment

13. Fall prevention measures

14. Height safety standards

15. Working at height certification

16. Personal protective equipment (PPE) for height work

17. Fall protection training

18. Height safety management

19. Working at height rescue procedures

20. Elevated work platform safety

Policy and Procedures

Work at Height should be avoided where possible. But when this is not possible a suitable and sufficient risk assessment must be undertaken and a safe system of work implemented. Any work at height needs to be properly planned in advance of the work activity, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner. Careful consideration should be taken in selecting and using work equipment, including ladders.

Purpose

Working at Height Policy and Procedures

This policy and procedure are applicable to all staff, contractors, and users working at [Company Name]

Working at Height in an office, or another low-risk environment, can be addressed via the general risk assessment form available on the [Company Name] Safety pages (Risk Assessment Forms).

Definitions

Work at Height. This is work in any place above or below ground level where a person could be injured if they fell from that place. This can also include means of access and/or egress to a place of work.

Work at Height does not include slipping, tripping, or falling on the same level, nor does it include walking up or down a permanent staircase in a building

Work Equipment Means any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool, or installation for use at work

Responsibilities

Deans of Faculty and Heads of Professional Support Services

Ensure that every effort is made to avoid working at height and that where it cannot be avoided a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is undertaken before the work is carried out

Provide suitable work equipment or other measures such as guard rails, to prevent falls where work at height cannot be avoided and ensure that all work at height is being properly maintained and inspected

Ensure that a method statement, including emergency procedures, has been developed prior to working, except for the simplest activities where the precautions are straightforward and easily repeated.

Ensure that a ‘Permit to Work’ has been raised and communicated to those undertaking the work

Ensure that all staff working at height have appropriate information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure their competence

Ensure that contractors do not start any work at height without having provided a suitable risk assessment and method statement

Ensure that all contractors employed are competent to work at height and are appropriately supervised when on site. Work at Height Policy

Director of Estates

Shall appoint one or more suitably qualified and experienced ‘Roof Permits to Work’

Issuers

Ensure a register or all roof areas under their control are maintained

Ensure that any equipment purchased is suitable

Ensure that pre-use checks of equipment and reporting of defects are undertaken

Ensure that an audit of roof areas is undertaken every five years

Roof Permits to Work Issuers

Shall not issue any permits for work being undertaken by themselves unless countersigned by another PTW issuer

Ensure that all necessary precautions, including emergency procedures, have been communicated to the persons in charge of the work

Assess all associated risks involved in working at height and develop a safe system of work, including the selection, and the appropriate inspection of suitable equipment, where necessary

Be responsible for the issuing of the roof permits to work, for the management of staff and contractors while they are on-site, and for the cancellation of roof permits to work

Safety Advisor

Assist the Deans of Faculty and Heads of Professional Support Services, the Director of Estates, and the Roof Permits to Work Issues in the selection of suitable equipment

Assist in the development and undertaking of audits concerning working at height and associated equipment

Develop and put into place training for Roof Permit to Work Issuers, Employees, and Users to ensure the safe use of any work-at-height equipment

Be responsible for the maintenance of this policy and procedure

Assist in the undertaking of Roof Audits

Employees, Contractors, Users, etc.

Assist line management with the assessment of risks with regard to working at height.

Inform them if the system of work is inadequate or inadequate, and do not work in the area until informed it is safe to do so

Comply with any method statement developed through risk assessment and any requirements of a roof permit to work

Report all accidents and incidents (including near misses), or any defects in equipment via the Incident Report Form (Incident Report Form)

Procedures

Working with Ladders, Step-ladders, and Step-Stools

Ladders can be used for low-risk, short-duration activities that do not require a higher level of fall protection.

As a guide ladders and step ladders should be used for no more than 30 minutes.

Using ladders

Training is required in the safe use of ladders and users must be deemed competent to use the equipment safely.

Pre-Use Checks

A pre-use check of ladders should be carried out:

By the user

At the beginning of the working day

After something has changed e.g. if the ladder has been dropped or damaged, moved from a dirty to a clean area, etc.

Items to check

The Stiles – ensure they are not bent or damaged, as the ladder could buckle or collapse

The Feet – if they are missing, worn, or damaged the ladder could slip. Also check the ladder feet if moving from soft/dirty ground to smooth, solid surfaces to make sure that there is nothing embedded to prevent the feet from making contact with the ground

The Rungs – if they are bent, worn, missing, or loose the ladder could fall

Any Locking Mechanisms – if they are bent or the fixings are worn or damaged the ladder could collapse. Ensure that any locking bars are engaged.

Stepladder platform – if it is split or buckled the ladder could become unstable or collapse

Steps or treads on stepladders – if they are contaminated they could be slippery, if the fixings are loose on steps, they could collapse

Record the outcomes of any pre-use checks in the ladder booking out the ledger.

Using ladders safely

Simple precautions to minimize the risk of a fall:

Leaning Ladders

Only carry light materials

Don’t overreach

Make sure the ladder is long enough or high enough for the task

Don’t overload the ladder, check the pictogram or information on the ladder

Make sure the ladder is at 75°

Always grip ladders and face the ladder rungs while climbing or descending

Don’t move or extend ladders while standing on the rungs

Don’t work off the top three rungs and make sure the ladder extends at least 1m above where you are working

Avoid holding items when climbing

Maintain three points of contact when climbing (one hand and two feet)

Stepladders

Check all four stepladder feet are in contact with the ground and the steps are level

Only carry light materials and tools

Don’t overreach

Don’t stand or work on the top three steps

Ensure any locking devices are engaged

Try and position the stepladder to face the work activity and not side on

Try to avoid work that imposes a side loading

Maintain three points of contact at the working position (two feet and one hand)

Working with Mobile Scaffolds

Towers should be erected by trained and competent people. There are a number of organizations that provide training for the safe erection and use of tower scaffolds.

The incidents that occur are mainly caused by:

Dangerous methods of erection or dismantling – where a safe system is not being followed;

Defects in the erected scaffold – where the tower structure is incorrectly assembled or where a platform guardrail is missing;

Misuse of the scaffold – where a ladder is used on a tower causing it to overturn or when a person falls while the tower is being moved.

Erection and dismantling

The manufacturer, supplier, or hirer has a duty to provide an instruction manual explaining the erection sequence, including any bracing requirements.

Towers should be erected following a safe method of work, either using:

Advance guard rail system – where temporary guard rail units are locked in place from the level below and moved up to the platform level. They are in place before the operator accesses the platform to fit the permanent guard rails.

‘Through-the-trap’ (3T) – involves the operator taking up a working position in the trap door of the platform, from where they can add or remove the components which act as the guard rails on the level above the platform. It is designed to ensure that the operator does not stand on an unguarded platform.

Stability

To maintain tower stability you must make sure:

The tower rests on firm, level ground with the locked castors or base plates properly supported. Never use bricks or building blocks to take the weight of any part of the tower; stabilizers or outriggers are installed when required by the instruction manual; and

That a tower is never erected to a height above that recommended by the manufacturer.

Precautions and inspection

Tower scaffolds must comply with the standard required for all types of scaffolds, e.g. double guardrails, toe boards, bracing, and access ladders. When the tower is purchased or hired it should arrive with all the necessary components to prevent falls and ensure stability. Towers rely on all parts being in place to ensure adequate strength. They can collapse if sections are left out. All towers must be inspected following assembly and then at suitable regular intervals by a competent person. In addition, if the tower is used for construction work and a person could fall 2 meters or more from the working platform, then it must be inspected following assembly and then every 7 days. Stop work if the inspection shows it is not safe to continue and put right any faults. The result of an inspection should be recorded and kept until the next inspection is recorded.

Using and moving

Make sure everyone involved is aware of, and follows, these simple rules:

Using

Never use a tower:

In strong winds;

As support for ladders, trestles, or other access equipment;

With broken or missing parts; or

With incompatible components.

Moving

When moving a tower you should always:

Reduce the height to a maximum of 4m;

Check that there are no power lines or other obstructions overhead;

Check that the ground is firm, level, and free from potholes; and

Push or pull using manual effort from the base only.

Never move a tower while people or materials are on the tower, or in windy conditions.

Risk Assessment Guidance

In the event that work at height cannot be avoided, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment

MUST be undertaken. The outcomes of this risk assessment must provide evidence for the development of a safe system of work, which includes the provision of emergency procedures. If the risks are significant, the check and the method statement (safe system of work) must be written down.

Assessing the Risks

When assessing risk, all available information about the work to be undertaken needs to be available and consulted. All foreseeable risks must be considered in advance and the following may need to be considered.

Working on roofs without adequate fixed protection

Working on roofs without unprotected roof lights

Working from a ladder

Working from a scaffold or scaffold tower

Areas for consideration in the assessment should include:

The work being undertaken

Frequency of access

Duration of the work

Location in relation to the presence of hazards e.g. overhead services etc.

The working environment with regard to weather and lighting

Safe means of access and egress

Lone working

Condition and stability of work surfaces such as fragile materials, slippery surfaces, etc.

Physical capabilities of the workers such as pregnancy or vertigo sufferers

Falling objects

Impact on adjacent work activities, or passage of staff adjacent to work at height

Prevention of access by unauthorized persons

The written risk assessment must be completed on the Non-Laboratory Risk Assessment form available on the [Company Name] intranet (Risk Assessment Form)

Developing a Method Statement

In the development of a written method statement, the information gathered during the risk assessment will be used to develop a document that will give information and instruction to the employee who is carrying out the work. It will also detail, where necessary:

Collective fall protection

Personal fall arrest

Requirements for inspection

The means of preventing unauthorized access to the area underneath the work being carried out

Any supervision that may be necessary

Any weather conditions that workers may be exposed to e.g. ice roofs, slippery surfaces in the rain, wind, etc.

Any emergency or rescue conditions e.g. it is not acceptable just to rely on the emergency services, needs to be covered in the risk assessment and planned prior to the work being carried out

Collective measures such as guard rails etc. should be deployed in the first instance rather than personal protection. Fall arrest/restraint equipment should be the last in the hierarchy of control as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Rescue Plan

Any method statement must include a rescue that considers how an injured worker could be removed safely. The speed of response is an essential consideration, especially when a safety harness is being used as a control measure. Persons suspended in a harness can become unresponsive in as little as five minutes and maybe fatally injured in 15 minutes if help is not immediately available.

Training Requirements

All members of Estates and Facilities staff who are required or permitted to use ladders or mobile scaffolds will be required to undertake the training as per the policy and legal compliance requirements.

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