WORKING AT HEIGHT

What is working at height?

 Working at height is any activity where the potential of a
fall exists
 Falls from height can occur anywhere – even on the ground
Working at height activities include:

 Wearing a harness  Operating mobile elevated work

platforms (MEWPs)

 Using ladders /step ladders

 Scaffolding
What are the risks?
 Unguarded platforms/openings leading to falls
 Unstable ground conditions leading to structure collapse
 Unsecured tools / equipment on lifts or working platforms
 Unauthorised access to
 Lack of barricading leading to people under suspended loads
 Failure of lifting equipment
 Overhead power lines or electrical conductors
 Traffic /work near roads risk of persons being struck
 Lack of training and competency leading to injury / fatality
 Suspension trauma
What are the influences?
 Equipment not used / unavailable
 No physical barriers – barricades / fencing
 Poor housekeeping
 Inadequate / no exclusion zones (drop zones)
 Inadequate / no Supervision
 Insufficient / no planning & hazard ID
 Insufficient training for the task
 Incorrect protection / equipment choices
 Incorrect use or set-up of equipment
 Unwillingness to change the way a task is carried out
What are the potential consequences?

 Serious life threatening injury / death

 Permanent disability
 Loss of income
 Impact on family, friends, work colleagues
(Ripple effect)
 Prosecution individual / company
What are our legal obligations?

 Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 - Primary duty of care

 Regulations
 Notifiable Work
Key steps to managing risk
 Identify scope of work
 Identify task(s) to be done
 Identify hazards associated with task(s)
 Assess the initial risk
 Develop controls
 Assess residual risk
 Monitor and review controls
Equipment – Best Practice Use
Consider the hierarchy of controls when selecting equipment.
Equipment – Best Practice Use

Group controls isolate multiple workers from the risk of

falling.
Examples include:
 Scaffolding
 Edge protection
 Mechanical access plant
 Safety mesh
Equipment – Best Practice Use

Personal controls should only be considered when group controls are not
practicable.
Examples include:
 Harness systems
 Temporary work platforms

Ladders and stepladders do not offer fall protection and should be the last form
of work access equipment to be considered.
Equipment – Best Practice Use
As equipment is identified, it is important to consider
the following:
 Working conditions
 Distances to be negotiated for access and egress
 Distances and consequences of a fall
 Duration and frequency of use
 Rescue
 Additional risk posed by the installation and
removal of work equipment
Inspection Frequencies of Equipment

Item Frequency

•Personal equipment including •Before and after each use.

harnesses, lanyards, connectors, fall •By a height safety operator or – if not
arrest devices including common use competent – by another competent
devices person.
•Harnesses, lanyards, associated
personal equipment.
•6 monthly inspection.
•Fall arrest devices (external
•By a height safety equipment inspector
inspection only)
•Ropes and slings
Item Frequency

•Anchorages – •12 monthly inspection

Drilled in type or •As recommended by manufacturer to a maximum of 5
attached to timber years
frames •12 monthly inspection in the absence of such
•Anchorages – Other recommendation
types •By a height safety equipment inspector

•As recommended by manufacturer to a maximum of 5

years
Fall arrest devices –
•12 monthly service in the absence of such
Full service
recommendation
•By a height safety equipment inspector
Item Frequency

•As recommended by manufacturer to a

maximum of 5 years
•Horizontal and Vertical Lifelines –
•12 monthly service in the absence of such
steel rope or rail
recommendation
•By a height safety equipment inspector

•Horizontal and Vertical Lifelines – •6 monthly inspection

Fibre rope / web •By a height safety equipment inspector

•All items that have been stressed as •Check Manufacturer specifications and take in
a result of a fall to be checked by a height safety inspector.
Training – Competencies & Limitations
Harness work
 All harness work requires training and competence.
 WorkSafe NZ recommends NZQA Unit Standards for workers involved
in installing and using harness systems
 Untrained personnel should be inducted and supervised by qualified
persons

Other training considerations

 Scaffolding
 Mechanical access plant
 Rescue
Dropped Objects Management
 Primary:
 Tool lanyards 100% hook on or hard barrier platforms for drops protection
 Rated self closing tool bags to transport tools /equipment up stairs
 Storage bins to hold tools / equipment
 High standard of housekeeping

 Secondary:
 Hard barrier exclusion zones
 Designated drop zones for lifting / scaffolding
 Hard barrier protection over walkways
 No-go zones
 Never stand under suspended loads
Exclusion zones
 Identify all possible simultaneous operations above
and/or below work area
 If there is potential for objects to fall from height,
set up an exclusion zone to keep other people out of
the area
 The radius of the exclusion zone should equal 33% of
the height from directly below/above the work area
( ).
Getting equipment to height

Determine how tools/equipment will be lifted to height

during job planning stages.

Considerations:
 Competent personnel
 Rated lifting equipment
 Area below lift
 Don’t overload
Fall Arrest System Rescue Plan
 Emergency Situations:
 Sudden medical event, trip, or slip causing a
worker to fall and be suspended in a harness.
 Requires rescue retrieval within minutes to
prevent suspension trauma.

 Working at Height Rescue Plan – key elements:

 JSA - Pre-planning
 Communications – verbal / radio
 Rescue plan discussed prior to work starting
 Plan reviewed throughout job.
 Equipment – Gotcha Kit (Photo) onsite
 Competent personnel – NZQA 23229 / 15757
 Prevention controls (suspension trauma
straps)
Case Study 1 – Working at
Height with no Harness
• Scissor lift use for steel framing
inspection
• Individual identified unsecured
bolt
• Individual climbed out of EWP
without harness
• Potential for 10m fall onto
concrete
Case Study 2 - Scaffolding
ground support workers need to
be trained and assessed as
competent
 Scaffold team erecting scaffold
 Ground support worker rested 3m
scaffold ledger against scaffold in
readiness to pass up to
scaffolders
 Scaffolder instead requested
more scaffold clips
 Second ground support person
walked over to collect scaffold
clips
 As ground support person lent
over to pick up clips, scaffold
ledger slid over sideways.
 Scaffold ledger hit workers hip,
causing bruising.
References:

• https://besafe.nz/working-at-height-best-practice
• http://www.vesi.com.au/files/WorkPractice
s/Guidance_Note_for_Drop_Zone_Manage
ment_within_the_VESI_-_February_2016.pd
f
- VESI 33% of working height
•
http://dropsonline.org/assets/documents/
DROPS-Recommended-Practice-2017.pdf
- Drops Prevention Program