WORK AT HEIGHT
W ork at height means
work in any place
where, if precautions
were not taken, a person could
fall a distance liable to cause
personal injury. Many Repair &
maintenance and Construction
Jobs require work at height and
with use of ladders, scaffolding,
Mobile Elevated Work
Platforms (aerial lifts, scissor
lifts, man-baskets placed on a
forklift), Stairs & Hand rails,
Man lifts. There are no specified
height limits but OSHA
recommended height limit is 2
meters. Major hazards
associated with work at height
are injuries due to fall of a person
from height or falling object that
might hit someone passing or
working below. To make work at
height safe main priority is to
prevent falls of people and
objects and to ensure that
access equipments are safe
enough to use and by doing risk
assessments, making SSOW and
DGKCC HSE HUB BALOCHISTANAN
use of permit to work system
especially where heights limit
exceeds 2 meter.
Falls may occur from the edges
of roofs; through gaps or holes in
roofs; and through fragile roof
materials. Work at height should
be carried out from a platform
with suitable edge protection.
Occasionally this may not be
possible and a ladder may have
to be used.
• All unprotected work 2 meter
or above ground level requires
a work permit and the use of
certain equipment, such as a
harness.
• Use a harness as required, and
only if you are trained to use it.
• Chin straps must be used on
helmets when working at
heights.
• Check harness for defects
regularly and never use a
damaged or repaired harness.
• Ensure platforms above 2
meter in height have 1 meter
high guardrails. Mid-rails or
brick guards may also be
needed. This also applies to
tanks and pits.
• All floor openings must be
covered or fenced off securely.
PREPARED: ANSAR ALI (AM HSE)
PPE / Fall Arrest System
 Full body harness
 Fall Arrestors
 Life lines & anchor points
 Helmets
 Safety nets
 Landing mats
Selection of access Equipment:
When deciding what equipment
to use think about what the job
includes, how long it will last and
where it needs to be done. It is
tempting to use a ladder for all
sorts of work but you should
always consider a working
platform first, for example, a
properly erected mobile scaffold
tower or a mobile elevated
working platform (MEWP).
“Falls from heights
continue to be the biggest
killer especially on
construction sites; it takes
half a second to react to
fall. Protect yourself
against a fall when working
at heights”