Working at

Height Training

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 House Rules:
• Fire alarm/exits
• Toilets
• Smoking
• Drinks
• Breaks
• Lunch
• Questions
• Mutual Respect

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 House Rules:

As a courtesy to others
please set your phone to
SILENT MODE.

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Course Content
• Introduction
• Working at Height
• Hazards Associated with Working at Heights
• Control Hazards
• Steps for Safe Working at Height
• Fall Prevention
• Permit to Work
• Emergency Rescue Plan
• Local Application
• Summary
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Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training module the participants
will understand and state the following;
• What is working at height
• Hazards related to working at height
• Safety working on ladders, scaffolds, work platforms and
roof
• The hierarchy of measures to be taken when working at
height
• The key element of safe working at height
• The technique and equipment to be used
• Emergency rescue
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 Introduction
• The content is based on the guidelines and procedures
of the Corporate EHS Management System and has
been edited for the purpose of training.

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What is Working at Height
 Work at Height is work in any place, including a place at,
above or below ground.
 Access and egress to a place of work can also be work at
height.
 It does not include stairways or slips or trips to the level

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 Any person involved with the design or erection of
fall prevention or fall protection equipment must be
subject to formal competence checks in order to
ensure that they possess the necessary training,
competence and qualifications to perform those
tasks before being allowed to work on site.

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Examples of Working at Height
• Working on roof
• Working on ladders
• Working at ground level adjacent to an open
excavation.
• Working from temporary work platforms, scaffolds,
MEWP, tanks etc.

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 Planning, Organizing and
Competence

 Work at Height must be:

 Properly planned and communicated
to all, including contractors before work commences.
 Appropriately supervised by competent people.
 Not carried out if weather conditions jeopardise safety.
 Those working at height must be:
 Competent and entered onto a register.
 Or, if being trained, supervised by a competent person.

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Whilst passing this training module
counts towards proving competence,
annual practical training, experience
and attendance at induction training,
toolbox talks and risk assessment
meetings provides further evidence
towards proof of competence.

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Hazards Associated with Working at Heights

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 Working on roofs
 Fall Occurs
 from the edges of roofs
 through gaps or holes in roof
 through fragile roof materials and roof lights
 injuries by material falling or thrown from roofs.

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Working on Ladders
 Ladder should be used for short-term & light work.

Types of Ladders
 Extension Ladder
 Step Ladder
 Rolling Ladder
 Fixed Ladder
 Rope Ladder

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Working on Ladders
Hazards associated with Ladders:
• falls from ladders
• struck by falling ladders
• struck by materials falling from
ladders
• tripping over ladders striking persons
or objects when carrying ladders
• contact with electrical equipment

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Working at ground level adjacent to an open excavation
Hazards while working at ground level
adjacent to an open excavation.
• Falls
• Falling object
• Falling mobile equipment
• Access/Egress
• Collapse

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Working from Temporary Work Platforms- Scaffolds
Hazards while working from scaffolds.
 fall from scaffolding.
 electric shock .
 scaffold collapse.
 falling object.

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Working from Temporary Work Platforms- MEWP
MEWP
(Mobile Elevating Work Platforms)
A general term used for scissor lift,
aerial platform, or an extensible or
articulating boom aerial device
(either self-propelled or vehicle-
mounted) used for the purpose of
positioning personnel, their tools and
necessary materials to elevated work
locations.

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Working from Temporary Work Platforms- MEWP
Hazard while working from MEWP:
• Tip/roll-over
• Collapses
• Personnel being thrown from the basket
• Falling or pinned by a nearby structure.
• Contact with electrical lines or equipment.

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Control of Hazards
Working on roofs
 When working on sloping roofs:
 Use proper roof ladders.
 Wear a safety harness.

 When working on fragile roofs:

 Use crawling boards.
 Ensure a warning sign is
displayed at all access points.

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Control of Hazards
Ladder Safety
 May be used for light tasks of low risk and short
duration (in conjunction with a safety harness);
or access and egress to a work platform.

 Must be secured to prevent slipping– sideways

and outwards.
 Should be Installed at an angle of 4:1 (or 75°).
 Must extend approx. 1 m above working platform
(if applicable).

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Control of Hazards
Ladder Safety
 Must not be painted.
 Should be placed on a register and
inspected at least once per week.
 Vertical ladders installed for construction
purposes, at a height where a person can fall
more than 3 m, must be fitted with a cage /
hoops and a vertical lifeline.
 Vertical ladders over 9 m high must have
platform every 9 m and be offset at every
platform.

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Control of Hazards
Ladder Safety
 Always maintain a 3-point (two hands and a

foot, or two feet and a hand) contact on the

ladder when climbing.
 Use non conductive ladders around exposed
wires or while working with electricity.
 Secure your tools & materials to prevent fall.
 Never use a damaged ladder (tag & remove
it from service).
 Do not over-reach in getting parts, material,
etc
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Control of Hazards
Scaffolds
All scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by
a competent person.
Once erected, scaffolds must be inspected by a competent
person:
 Before first use.
 After substantial alteration.
 After any event likely to have affected its stability e.g. after
strong winds.
 At least once every 7 days inspections must be recorded and a
Scaf-tag system or equivalent used to indicate inspection status.
In the event that faults are found, the tag must be pulled and
the scaffold taken out of use until repaired.

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Control of Hazards
Scaffolds
 All scaffolds must have a top guardrail fixed
at a height of 1.1 m, an intermediate
guardrail & toe boards to all sides from
where a person or material can fall.
 Scaffolds and ladders must not be erected
close to ejectors, blow-off valves or live
power lines / cables / conductors.
 Scaffolds erected around structures that
may have electrical services, and where
electrical equipment is to be used, must be
earthed.

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Control of Hazards
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP)
 MEWP can provide safe access and safe working
at heights, and are often safer than ladders or
other access equipment.
 Equipment must be thoroughly tested &
examined by a competent person before first
use & at least once every six months.
 Equipment must be inspected daily by
operators / users and repaired if defects
found.
 Operators must be trained in its use,
inspection and emergency procedures.
 Baskets must have barriers / boards (approx.
1.1 m in height and toe boards / kick-plates).
 Operators must wear a safety harness -
attached to the basket.
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Steps:
 1: Risk Assessment.
 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height.
 3: Planning and Organizing.
 4: Ensure that those working at height are
competent.
 5: Use appropriate Work Equipment.
 6: Manage the Risk from Falling Objects.
 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work
Equipment and Workplace.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 1: Risk Assessment
 Prior to any person working at height, a risk
assessment must be carried out and properly
communicated in order to identify the risks and the
safety measures needed to eliminate or reduce the
risk.
 The first question should always be, “can the need
for work at height be eliminated or minimised”.
 A person who is sufficiently experienced to be able
to identify competently the health and safety risks
arising out of the work should carry out the
assessment. The assessment must be reviewed by
Alstom.
 In those cases where it is not reasonably
practicable to provide a safe working platform and a
person has to rely on the use of a safety harness, a
suitable rescue plan must also be considered.
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 1: Risk Assessment
Each assessment should be proportionate to the
risks involved but factors to consider include:
 Environment and conditions – location,
access, egress, weather and ground conditions,
other activities.
 Task to be performed - extent of the task, its
complexity, duration, frequency.
 People involved - numbers, degree of
exposure to the risk, competence of workers
involved, (including Contractors),levels of
supervision required.
 The quality of the site induction program,
were Alstom’s expectations for working at
height explained adequately?

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 1: Risk Assessment
Also, consider risks to or presented by those not directly involved in the work, work equipment
and / or other structures to be used.
Whatever action is taken to control the risk(s), it should be proportionate to the risk of harm and
reflect what is reasonably practicable.
but remember, serious injuries can be caused by falls from relatively low heights (injury statistics
show that falls from below 2 m account for two thirds of all major accidents); don’t assume that
little or nothing need be done to prevent them. A height of 500mm should set the need for risk
assessment.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height
 Avoid – Prevent – Mitigate
 Avoid working at height.
 If you don’t have to go up there DON’T.
 It may be possible to assemble a
structure on the ground and then lift it
into place using the appropriate lifting
equipment.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height
Prevent falls
 Where working at height is absolutely
necessary, the first consideration must be to
provide a safe working platform, so far as is
reasonably practicable.
 This could be a permanent structure such as a
building, or an industrial plant, the top of a
piece of machinery or a vehicle or an item of
work equipment, such as a scaffold or a MEWP
(mobile elevating working platform).
 In all, cases it must be safe i.e. there is no
foreseeable risk of a person falling from it.

 Work platforms must be strong and rigid enough to prevent people from falling, have no
gaps in the flooring or toe boards and be able to withstand other loads likely to be placed
on them.
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height
 Prevent falls
 Edge protection must be provided.

 Barriers other than guardrails and toe boards can be used, as long as they are at least 1.1 m
high, secure and provide an equivalent standard of protection against falls and materials rolling,
or being kicked, from any edges.
 If the risk comes from falling through openings or fragile material an alternative to guard
rails or a barrier is to cover the opening or material. Any covering should be:
 Strong enough to support any loads likely to be placed on it (including the weight of a
person); and
 Fixed in position to prevent accidental dislodgement. To prevent people removing
coverings, mark them with a warning (e.g.‘Hole below - do not remove’)

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height
 Mitigate the consequences of a fall.
 Where the risk of people or objects falling still remains you should take steps to minimize
the distance and consequences of such falls.
 Give collective protective measures (e.g. guardrails, nets, airbags, MEWP etc.) precedence
over personal measures.
 Equipment chosen should minimize injury, but you must also consider
 Work location e.g. trailing lanyards can cause a significant tripping hazard and are rarely
suitable at a height below 4 m.
 Consequences of falls - including the effects of the equipment used e.g. injury caused by
deceleration and from hanging motionless in harness after the fall.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 3: Planning and Organizing
 Consider the effects of adverse weather conditions
 Suitable and sufficient lighting should be provided.
 Lightning, wind, rain, snow, ice, temperature and sun will affect working conditions.
 MWEP cannot be used in strong winds.
 Bulky clothing could get caught up in machinery or make access more dangerous.
 Build-up of mud on ladders will make them less safe, as would placing them on a
surface that may have become slippery.
 Extreme heat can make people exhausted more quickly and may increase likelihood of
human error - regular work breaks may be necessary.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 3: Planning and Organizing
Plan the work and use suitable work
equipment.
Provide appropriate supervision
proportionate to the risks and the experience
and capability of the people involved in the
work.
Make sure those affected understand the risk
assessment and what they must do to comply
with it.
Plan for emergencies and rescue, taking
account of possible risks to rescuers.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 4: Ensure that those working at height are competent
 Competence is a combination of appropriate
practical and theoretical knowledge, training
and experience that collectively should enable
a person to:
 Undertake safely their specified activity at
their level of responsibility.
 Understand fully any potential risks related
to the work activity (tasks and equipment).
 Detect any defects or omissions and
recognize any implications for health and
safety with the aim of specifying appropriate
remedial actions that may be required in
relation to their particular work activity.
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 5: Use appropriate Work Equipment
 The choice of equipment:
 Will depend on the risk assessment and
envisaged usage.
 Involves “reasonable practicability”.
 Must prevent a person falling or minimize
risk of doing so.
 A ladder may reach the workplace but if
workers need to climb it for long
durations or with heavy or bulky
equipment, scaffolding is likely to be more
appropriate.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 5: Use appropriate Work Equipment
 However, if a scaffold is to be in place for
some time, the erection of a staircase
with handrails would be more
appropriate than a ladder tied in place.
 On the other hand, the risks of installing
scaffolding should be considered,
especially for work of short duration,
where a MEWP might be more
appropriate.
 However, MEWP should not generally be
used as a means of access to and egress
from work platforms – the necessity to
climb out of MEWP should be avoided.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 6: Manage the Risk from Falling Objects
 Precautions must be taken to ensure that
portable tools, hand tools, materials etc.
cannot fall onto people below.
 Consider the use of collective protection
measures such as safety nets, plastic
sheeting and toe boards.
 Where reasonably practicable, erect
barriers below the work platform to
prevent people walking below and / or
erect warning signs.
 Consider attaching tools to straps /
lanyards fixed to anchor points, but bear
in mind this may introduce additional
tripping hazards.
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 6: Manage the Risk from Falling Objects
 Never throw or drop tools, materials etc.
below.
 Consider the use of enclosed rubbish chutes
or lower debris in containers.

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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace
 Inspection of Equipment
 A competent person should determine the
nature, frequency and extent of any inspection
taking account of such factors as the type of
equipment, how and where it is used, its
likelihood to deteriorate, etc..
 Formal thorough examinations are not a
substitute for any pre-use checks or routine
maintenance.
Inspection of the Workplace
 Surface conditions and other permanent
features where work at height will be taking
place should be checked each time before work
starts in order to identify whether there are any
obvious defects
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace
Maintenance
 Frequency of maintenance will depend
on the equipment, the conditions in
which it is used and the manufacturer’s
instructions.
 Planned preventive maintenance
involves replacing parts or making
necessary adjustments at pre-set
intervals.
 Condition-based maintenance involves
monitoring the condition of safety-critical
parts and carrying out maintenance
whenever necessary e.g. hydraulic
systems in a MEWP.
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Steps for Safe Working at Height
Step 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace
 Competence
 All personnel must be competent in the
inspection and maintenance tasks they
are required to perform.
 Hired Equipment
 Where work equipment is hired, it is
important that both the hire company and
the person responsible for hiring the
equipment agree upon which party will
carry out safety-related inspection and
maintenance. This arrangement must be
documented.

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Fall Prevention
Fall Protection Equipment
 When an elevated work location cannot be accessed safely from a ladder or
protected work platform or when the installation of guardrails is infeasible, fall
restraint or fall arrest systems may be used.
 Personal fall-arrest system arrests a fall.
 Personal fall-restraint system prevents a fall.

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Fall Prevention
Fall Protection Equipment
 A personal fall-arrest system
consists of an anchorage,
connectors, and a full-body harness
that work together to stop a fall and
to minimize the arrest force. Other
parts of the system will include a
lanyard, a deceleration device, and
may include a lifeline.
 A personal fall-restraint system
prevents a worker from reaching an
unprotected edge and thus prevents
a fall from occurring. The system
consists of an anchorage point,
connectors and a body harness.

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 Fall Prevention
Fall Distance Calculation
 When using a fall arrest system, the fall distance calculation must account for the
length of lanyard, deceleration distance, the height of the person wearing the
equipment (or the height of the D-ring attached to the back of the harness), the
position of the anchorage point, lanyard or rope elongation and a safety factor.

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Fall Prevention
Fall Protection Equipment- Safety Harness, Lanyards, Fall Arrestor
 Safety harnesses and associated equipment must be inspected daily or before
each use by the user and every three months by a competent person.
 Harness used in a fall arrest situation must be withdrawn from service and not re-used
until a full examination has been performed.
 Records of thorough examinations must be maintained.
 All lanyards should be made from flame resistant materials.
 Inertia reels may be used to enable safer movement in certain areas.

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Fall Prevention
Fall Protection Equipment- Safety Harness, Lanyards, Fall Arrestor
 Lifelines used for the attachment of safety
harnesses must be:
 Made from steel rope – standard 12 mm .
 Installed and validated by a competent
person.
 Tensioned by turnbuckle or similar.
 Designed to support the maximum number
of workers – standard three people.
 Securely anchored a both ends with
triplicate wire rope clamps, at points able to
withstand the dynamic load generated by a
fall.

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Control of Hazards
Guardrails (Edge protection)
 A Guardrails should be used in situations when it is not reasonably practicable
to use temporary work platforms.

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Permit to Work
Work Permit
 A well designed ‘Permit to Work System’ is always useful & additional control
to check safety points particularly while working on roof.
 A permit to work may be required for
 All work on roofs within 2 metres of an unprotected or inadequately protected:
 Edge or where there is a risk of falls from height.
 All work on fragile roofs or within 2 metres of fragile material,
including:skylights.
 All work above extraction stack fan level.
 Any work at height where collective prevention methods could not be used.

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Permit to Work
Management Control
 In addition to a permit to work system, management must place strict controls over
working at height activities which will include:.
 Weekly inspection by Alstom management of all working at height activities.
 Findings, statistics, actions and management of change issues relating to
working at height activities will be discussed at weekly operational meetings.
 All contractors to be subject to a regular inspection regime by Alstom
management and taking contractual measures against any contractor company
for significant or repetitive deviations from Alstom standards.
 Disciplinary measures against persons who deliberately deviated from Alstom
standards or line management who allowed such deviations. Such disciplinary
measures will reflect the importance that Alstom attach to working at height and
may include a charge of gross misconduct.

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Emergency Rescue Plan
Rescue Plan
 A rescue plan must be developed where
a safety harness is being used as a
control measure & when personnel may
not able to self Rescue.
 A person suspended in a harness may
be unconscious within five minutes and
dead within fifteen minutes if help is not
immediately available.
 Any method statement must include a
rescue plan that considers how an injured
worker could be safely recovered. Speed
of response is an essential consideration.
 The emergency plan must be simulated
annually.
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Working at Height

Local Application

Left blank intentionally!

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Working at Height
Summary
 Work at height is work in any place, including a place at, above or below ground level, where
a person could be injured if they fell from that place.
 Working at height include working on ladder, roof, adjacent to excavations etc.
 Ladder should be used for short-term & light work.
 Hazards while working on height include fall, trip, strike, Electrical, falling object, collapse
 Use roof ladder, crawling board & safety harness.
 Ladder should be secured & installed at an angle of 4:1
 All scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by a competent person with
adequate guardrails.
 MEWP can provide safe access and safe working at heights,

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Working at Height
Summary
 Perform a Risk Assessment and implement controls proportionate to the risks.
 Adopt the Hierarchy of Risk Management. Avoid – Prevent – Mitigate.
 Always opt for collective protection in preference to personal protection.
 Plan and Organize for adverse weather conditions, adequate supervision & emergencies
 Inspect and maintain the workplace equipment to ensure its continued safety.
 Personal fall-arrest system arrests a fall.
 Personal fall-restraint system prevents a fall.
 A Guardrails should be used in situations when it is not reasonably practicable to use
temporary work platforms

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