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Work at Height Survey (WAH)

The following WAH survey results could be used for critical high areas which might require special procedures / PPEs. Please note
that the recommendations provided may not exactly suit your WAH problem but can provide some valuable thinking triggers.

Serial Area Height Job/s description Recommended safe WAH procedures /

Number PPE
1. Flare Stack A Structure painting / Maintenance of -FBH, Safety Goggles, Hard Hat/, Safety
(40 m) flare stack / Cable laying in the Shoes
vertical cable tray - Vertical life line with retractable cable fall
Lattice Steel Structure type arrest device, anchored to the flare stack top
& at various levels, FBH attached to life line,
work to be carried out using working saddle,
descending device

2. Control Room Cable installation / structure painting -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety Goggles,
/ structure maintenance Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes
60 m horizontal cable tray -Horizontal steel life line attached (detachable
section behind control room type) with fixed anchor rings along the cable
tray section anchored at both ends and in
between to permanent structures, with FBH
connected to the life line
3. Chimney & Storage Tank Outside Painting / maintenance -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety Goggles,
Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes
-Working Aluminum saddle attached to
vertical steel life line, descending device ,
manual operation
4. Urea Plant B Electrical lamp replacement -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety Goggles,
Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes
Pipe Rack -Use ‘A’ type retractable ladder, FBH lanyard
attached to the top section of pipe rack
through a fall arrest device

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5. Compressor Train B Painting work -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety Goggles,
Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes, safety net (install
43.1 m elevation from 7 ‘ from the permanent structure) with
more tie-points, without joints in nets

- Use of rescue & descent device using

vertical steel / polyamide lifeline with FBH
attached with fall arrest device (OPTIONAL)
6. Compressor Trains (A & Maintenance / repair / painting work -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety Goggles,
B) Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes, safety net (install
from 7 ‘ from the permanent structure) with
83 m elevation more tie-points
- Us of Tripod & retractable cable fall arrest
device, to be positioned atop the 83 m
elevation and lowered. Optionally, Aluminum
working saddle also can be used

7. Ammonia Storage Tank A Maintenance / repair / painting work -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety Goggles,
at the tank dome area Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes, safety net (install
Refrigerated, dome shaped from 7 ‘ from the permanent structure) with
tank more tie-points
- Install a ladder to the dome centre from the
nearest working platform, install a permanent
anchor point at the dome centre,
-Install a lifeline anchored to the dome anchor
point to work around the dome, with FBH
lanyard attached to this lifeline with a fall
arrest device
8. Ammonia Storage Tank B Maintenance / repair / painting work - -FBH with 2m long lanyard, Safety
at the tank sides Goggles, Hard Hat/, Safety Shoes, safety
Refrigerated, dome shaped net (install from 7 ‘ from the permanent
tank structure) with more tie-points

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- - A vertical steel lifeline anchored to the

top permanent platform of tank, with
Aluminum working saddle (or sky chair)
with cable decent control, cable fall arrest
mechanism

9. Inaccessible pipe- Maintenance / repair / painting work - All required PPE

sections / other Plant of pipeline sections - Man basket lift using crane, FBH lanyard
Areas anchored to crane hook (& if possible
attached to the near by permanent
structure), with an optional retractable
cable fall arrestor & vertical life line kept in
the man basket, use of qualified rigger,
crane operator, tag lines

10. Communication Tower Painting / Repair Work / Cable - All required PPE including FBH, etc.
replacement - Retractable cable fall arrest device
attached to vertical lifeline, fixed to the
tower top section

11. Urea Conveyor Maintenance of AC sheet work -FBH, safety shoes, goggles, Hard Hat,
(replacement of broken sheet, etc.) - - Man basket lift using crane, FBH lanyard
Covered with AC sheet roof anchored to crane hook (& if possible
& sides attached to the near by permanent
structure), with an optional retractable
cable fall arrestor & vertical life line kept in
the man basket, use of qualified rigger,
crane operator, tag lines
- As an option, ABCD can consider
installing a horizontal life line along
the conveyor housing with various
anchor points (similar to the
recommendation provided for the

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horizontal cable tray section)

12. Prill Tower C Painting - All required PPE

- Sky chair with vertical lifeline and
retractable cable with fall protector
- ABCD can also consider use of the
hydraulically operated working platform
also for this WAH job

13. Prill Tower C Replacement of Aviation Warning - All required PPE

Lights - Fall arrestor device, with a vertical life
line, with FBH positioning system

14. Lamp replacements in Repair / Maintenance - All required PPE

lights atop towers, other - Extend the ladders with caging
inaccessible plant permanently to facilitate easy reach of
equipment/ areas, etc. lamp fixture, FBH lifeline hooked on to the
ladders while lamp replacement / light
fixture removal, etc.

15. Bagging Area / Ware Light fixture repairs / lamp - All required PPE
House / Other replacements - Use ‘U’ end ladders (for better grip)
inaccessible locations positioned in between belt conveyor
where lights are installed streams
- ABCD may consider re-locating lights to
the wall sides for ease of maintenance
16. Naphtha Wagon Work atop rail wagon top side for - All required PPE
unloading Area opening of manholes, etc. - FBH attached to horizontal life line
anchored at 5 m interval,

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Abbreviations:

BIS: Bureau of Indian Standards

HSE: Health & Safety executive, UK
PPE: Personnel Protective Equipment
FBH: Full Body Harness

Notes:

1. FBH with double lanyards are supposed to provide the ultimate in WAH protection to workers so long as you
ensure that:
o The worker does not remove both lanyard anchor points when he is shifting locations. As an auditor, I have
witnessed this unsafe practice being followed by some scaffolders when they have to climb up / down tall
scaffold structures; and
o Beware of ‘Pendulum effect’ (swinging and hitting nearby structure) and ‘Bottoming Out’ effect (hitting the
ground when the FBH is anchored at a short distance from ground).

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