Training Module

SAFETY FOR WORK AT HEIGHT

Level: Knowledge
Agenda

1. What is work at height ?

2. Why we must control work at height

3. Common causes of falls

2
What Is Work At Height ?

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. Access and egress to a

place of work can also be work at height.

Examples of work activities that are classified as working at height include :

• working on a flat roof

• working from a ladder

• working at ground level adjacent to an open excavation

• working near or adjacent to fragile materials.

3
Why We Must Control Work At Height

Latest figures show that 46 people died from a fall from height at work in 2005/06.

This is the lowest number on record, but falls from height remain the most common

kind of accident causing fatal injuries. The number of people who have suffered

major injury as a result of a fall has also reduced, from 3799 in 2004/05 to 3351 in

2005/06.

Falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injury

and the second most common cause of major injury to

employees, accounting for around 15% of all such injuries.

4
Interpretation What is “Working at Height”

Work in any place, including a place in:

• The course of obtaining access to or egress from any place except by a staircase in a
permanent workplace

OR

• At or below ground level from which a person could fall a distance liable to cause
personal injury and any reference to working at height will include access to or egress
from such places whilst at work

5
Organisation and Planning

1. Every employer shall ensure that work at height is –

i. Properly planned;

ii. Appropriately supervised; and

iii. Carried out in a manner which is so far as reasonably practicable safe

iv. and that its planning includes selection of work equipment in accordance
with regulation 7 of the WAHR.

2. Planning includes planning for emergencies.

3. Every employer shall ensure that working at height is carried out only when
the weather conditions do not jeopardise the health and safety of persons
involved with the work

6
Guidance

• Assess the risks to decide how to work safely

• Follow the hierarchy for safe working at height

• Plan and organise the work properly not forgetting to taking into account
weather and emergency provisions

• Competency of those working at height

• The correct use of work equipment

• Manage the risks from working near or on fragile surfaces and manage the risk
of falling objects

• Inspect and maintain the work equipment to be used and carry out inspections
of the place where the work is to be carried out (not forgetting to include access
and egress)

7
Competence

Every employer shall ensure that no person engages in any activity including
organisation, planning and supervision in relation to work at height or work
equipment for use in such work unless he or she is competent to do so or, if a
person is being trained, that the person receiving the training is supervised by a
competent persons.

Guidance (or how the Regulations define competence with regard to WAH)
A combination of appropriate, practical and theoretical knowledge, training and
experience, which collectively should enable a person to:
i. Undertake safely their specified activity at their level of responsibility;
ii. Understand fully any potential risks related to the work activity (tasks and
equipment) in which they are engaged; and
iii. Detect any defects or omissions and recognise 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. This could include refusing to
do a particular task if the potential risk is assessed as being too great.

8
Avoidance of risk from Work at Height

Every employer will need to make sure that

any work is not carried out at height where

it is reasonably practicable to carry out

the work safely by other means.

9
Prevention

Where work will have to carried out

at height, every employer shall

take suitable and sufficient

measures to prevent, so far as

is reasonably practicable,

any person falling a distance

liable to cause personal injury

10
Mitigate the effects

Every employer shall take suitable and

sufficient measures to minimise the

distance and consequences of a fall.

At all stages the collective protective

measures should always have precedence

over personal protective equipment

11
We shall discuss:

 Why fall protection is required

 What fall protection methods are available

 When fall protection is necessary

 How to select and use the best method of fall protection

 Know when to use a fall arrest system

 Learn basic principles of a fall arrest system

12
Fall from height:

13
Fall on same level

14
Falls onto or against...

15
16
Fall to lower level

17
Fall from ladders..

18
Un safe acts

19
Un safe acts

20
Industries Fatality Rate
 An average of 17 workers dies per day
 One of every six workers is Construction worker
 One of every ten workers dies in a fall
 One of every eleven workers dies by being hit by falling material

Why would people have the equipment on and

not use it?
 Possible answers: Risk taking, showing off,
 (too cool to use. Its not cool to be dead!),
 And other factors such as: lack of training,
equipment selected was not appropriate for
the process, poor supervision, poor
enforcement of use. CULTURE Problems.

21
Federal OSHA statistics shows:
Falls are the leading cause of work
related deaths among construction
workers

International Standards,
Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR)
Duty to have fall protection.1926.501
ANSI Std.Z 359.1 1992

22
What factors contribute to people falling?

Possible answers:
 Environment, i.e. wind, rain, debris-housekeeping, equipment failure,
not using equipment properly, stress, inattentive, hurried, drug alcohol
ATTITUDE?
 Why? enforcement, don’t have rule or policy requiring it, supervision
lacking

23
What is fall protection?

 Fall protection is protecting someone from falling; by using some means to prevent
the

person from actually falling, or by reducing the distance of the fall to limit physical
damage,

 It also protects people from materials falling onto them.

 The issue of fall protection essentially deals with safe access to an elevation.

 A lot of Fall Protection problems are observed to relate to the wrong type of safe
access for the job.

24
“Conventional fall protection.”

 Guardrails

 Fall protection nets

 Personal Fall arrest systems.

25
To control any hazard there are three strategies:

1. Engineering Controls

 Should be considered first.

 Can be accomplished by eliminating or isolating the hazard from the worker

through the redesign or replacement of equipment, tools or workstation.

 Design the fall hazard out of the workplace through architectural design

 Use standard guardrails, handrails, stair rails and covers to protect the worker
from falling.

 Use standard canopies, covers, toe boards and screens to protect the worker
from falling objects.

(Contd…..) 26
To control any hazard there are three strategies:

2. Administrative Controls

 Reduce duration, frequency, and severity of exposure.

 May include, but not be limited to:
Job rotation Adequate rest breaks
 Establishing safe work procedures
Key elements:
 Training Employee conditioning
 Acclimation period Regular monitoring
 Feedback Maintenance
 Adjustments Modifications
 Enforcement

(Contd…..) 27
To control any hazard there are three strategies:

3. Personal Protective Equipment

 Equipment to present a barrier between the worker and the hazard.

 Workers falling in PFAS may still be injured

 Last defense.

28
Planning and identifying needs

 Hazards must be identified based on the evaluation of

the processes, and the worksite overall before a plan
can be developed.

 If proper planning is not done, time and materials will

be wasted and, consequently, costs will rise.

 Planning makes the difference between the success

or failure of any project.

A fall starts from the moment your

feet leave the surface you were

standing or walking on.

29
 The Fall

 A fall starts from the moment your feet leave the surface you were standing on.

 The fall distance is measured from the shoulder to the floor and any distance below the
floor surface that you fall before you stop by colliding with the lower level.

 If you are using a conventional Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) the fall is measured
from the anchorage point to the end of the lanyard when the fall is completely stopped.

 The fall distance is measured from the shoulder to the floor and any distance below the
floor surface that you fall before you stop by colliding with the lower level.

 A free fall defined as the act of falling before a personal fall arrest system begins to apply
force.

 The fall is referred to as the free fall up until the system begins to stop the fall.

 OSHA does not allows more than a 6 foot free fall.

30
 ARREST =

Any additional distance you fall is

referred to as the total fall distance.

THE STOPPING ACTION

31
 ARREST FORCE =

The force imposed when the stop occurs.

32
 How long does it take to fall?

4.5 Ft.
6.0 Ft. Free Fall

3.5 Ft. Shock Absorption

(9.5 Ft. Total Fall Distance)

14.5 Ft. Minimum Clearance 5.0 Ft. Height

(D-ring to worker’s feet)

Height Time
Equipment: (feet) (seconds)
6 foot lanyard with shock absorbing 4 0.5
lanyard measuring 3.5 feet fully elongated 16 1.0
100 2.5
© 1995 Courtesy of J. Nigel Ellis-Dynamic Scientific Controls 33
33
Where is fall protection required?

 Fall protection is required when a person is working at or above an unprotected side or

edge which is 6 feet or more above lower levels.

 The distance may be increased from 6 feet to 10 feet in residential type construction
work when performing:

 leading edge work,

 setting walls and trusses, or

 doing roofing and sheathing work.

34
35
Fall protection for the areas:
• When working on scaffolds
• When working on certain cranes and derricks –
• When working on some equipment in tunneling operations,
• When engaged in electrical transmission and distribution lines and equipment,
• When working on stairways and ladders,

36
37
Self propelled elevating platforms, Aerial lifts.

38
Incident Description:

The victim along with 3 other scaffold erectors was erecting scaffold
(for steel work modification) at the 33 metre level of the LNG flare
structure. The victim indicated to the remaining crew that he intended
to descend to make use of the toilet facilities. One of the crew members
witnessed the victim climb on to the ladder and fall. He also confirms
that immediately prior to the fall he observed him with the lanyard clip
in his right hand i.e. unclipped from the permanent handrail above the
ladder. Finally he confirms that no attempt had been made by the
victim to attach to the fall arrestor prior to stepping off the grating on
to the ladder.

The victim appears to have fallen side ways from the ladder and
descended head first through the structure landing some 14 metres
below the top of the ladder on to a scaffold structure at the 19 metre
level.

The ladder itself is in good condition and there is no evidence of any

specific deterioration in the rungs, which may have led to a slipping
hazard. The victims work boots are also in good condition with
adequate tread.

39
Incident Pictures (01):

40
 Incident Pictures (02):

Photograph showing the Photograph showing a Photograph showing the

temporary access ladder similar temporary access landing at the bottom of
protruding over the landing ladder protruding over the the temporary ladder.
platform and arrangements landing platform and
of ladder securing. arrangements of ladder
securing.

41
42
43
An unprotected Fall from a height as low as 1.5 meters can be

FATAL

44
Improper use + poorly maintained equipment = Injury

45
STOP THE JOB
IMMEDIATELY
CORRECT
SITUATION
and
RESTART

46
 Fall arrest system

available which can

make work at height safe

FULL BODY SAFETY HARNESS

A Typical Fall Arrest Arrangement

 Consists of:

 Anchorage Connector

 Shock Absorbing Lanyard

 Full Body Harness

 The anchorage connector must be attached to

a suitable and strong attachment point

48
Four basic components In Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS):

 Body support (full body harness), (safety

belts are no longer acceptable to use as fall
protection since January 1, 1998).

 A lanyard connectors (Connecting

components).

 Deceleration devices (rope grabs, shock

absorbing lanyards, some self-retracting
lanyards).

 An anchorage points, (Includes: life lines;

horizontal and vertical).

49
Full Body Safety

50
51
52
Full Body Safety Harness - AB 101

• Dorsal attachment D Ring

• Adjustable shoulder & thigh Strap

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 361

• Weight 900 Grams

53
Full Body Safety Harness - AB 102

• Dorsal attachment D Ring : 1

• Lateral attachment D Ring : 2

• Adjustable shoulder & thigh Strap

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 361

• Weight 1100 Grams

54
Full Body Safety Harness - AB 103

• Doral attachment D Ring : 1

• Cheat attachment loops : 1

• Adjustable shoulder & thigh Strap

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 361

• Weight 700 Grams

55
POSITIONING BELT & POSITIONING LANYARD
Positioning Belt - AB 028

• 2 ergonomic positioning lateral D rings

• Ergonomic back pad with lumber support

• 5 accessory holder

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 358

• Weight 600 Grams

57
Positioning Lanyard - AF 764

• Positioning lanyard use with Positioning Belt use to work in extended position

• 14 mm dia. 2 Mtr. Polyamide Rope with Manustop and automatic Snap Hook

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 358

58
Use Of Positioning Belt & Lanyard Both Hand Free Work On
Height

59
SANCHOC ENERGY ABSORBER
Sanchoc Energy Absorber - AE 522

• Sanchoc energy absorbing lanyards are the only use as an fall arrester system

• Incase of fall user energy impact always lower than 6 KN

• Length 2 Mtr. With both side screw locking hooks

• Require 6 Mtr. ground clearance

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 355

61
Use Of Sanchoc With Harness

62
PORTABLE FALL ARRESTERS
Autobloc Retractable Fall Arrester - AD 1000

• Energy Absorber

• 46 mm polyester webbing

• Maximum length 1.9 Mtr.

• Weight approx. 1 Kg.

• Available with 2 Screw locking hook

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 360

64
Use Of Autobloc Fall Arrester

65
Maverick Fall Retractable Arrester - AD 113

• Retractable type Fall Arrester

• 3.3 Meter long 5mm diameter Galvanized Steel Wire Rope

• Standard : EN 360 CE Approval / ANSI / CSA

• At the end of Cable Automatic swivel Snap Hook, and other side Steel
Screw Carabiner opening 17mm.

• Casing : Rugged Aluminum Construction

• Weight – 2.3 Kg

• Dimension : 120mm X 150 mm X 50mm

• Guarantee : 2 Years on Parts & labour.

• TEN Years Life.

66
JRG Fall Retractable Arrester - AD 212

• Portable Multipurpose application

• 12 Mtr. long 4 mm dia. galvanized steel Cable

• Composite Casing

• Fall Arrest Peak Force less than 6 KN.

• Weight approx. 4.5 Kg.

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 360

• TEN Years Life.

67
JRG Fall Retractable Arrester - AD 210 / AD 215

• Portable Multipurpose application

• Available length 10 M / 15 M

• 4 mm dia. galvanized / 5 mm Stainless steel Cable

• Composite anti-shock Casing

• Fall Arrest Peak Force less than 6 KN.

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 360

• TEN Years Life.

68
JRG Fall Retractable Arrester - AD 220 / AD 230 / AD 225-5I

• Portable Multipurpose application

• Available length 20 / 25 / 30 Mtr.

• 4 mm dia. galvanized / 5 mm Stainless steel Cable

• Composite anti-shock Casing

• Fall Arrest Peak Force less than 6 KN.

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 360

• TEN Years Life.

69
 JRG Fall Retractable Arrester - AD 340 / AD 350 / AD 360 / AD
360-5I

• Portable Multipurpose application

• Available length 40 / 50 / 60 Mtr.

• 4 mm dia. galvanized / 5 mm Stainless steel Cable

• Steel Casing

• Fall Arrest Peak Force less than 6 KN.

• Confirms to European Standard CE EN 360

• TEN Years Life

70