working at height

WORKING AT HEIGHT
“PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURe”

KEY OBJECTIVES
1. General knowledge on working at height
2. Identify types of fall hazards associated with workplace environments.
3. To understand the safety precautions
4. Identify methods to eliminate or protect against fall hazards
5. Rescue from fall

WHAT IS WORKING AT HEIGHT
 Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were
not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal
injury.
 In general working at height refers to work at 1.8 metres above a
ground or lower level.

WHY SAFETY?
 Gravity kills
 More fatal accidents in construction caused by falls than
anything else
 Unless working on a ladder, scaffold or scissor lift, OSHA
requires fall protection when exposed to a 6-foot fall or
greater.

BUT REMEMBER A FALL FROM ANY
HEIGHT CAN KILL YOU

ACCIDENT TRIANGLE WITH HEIGHT
 As the height increases
chance of accidents also
increases
 Do the work from ground as
far as possible

THE LAW WORK AT HEIGHT
REGULATIONS 2005
 Apply to all work activities in all industries
 Apply to all at work by employees, employers or self employed
 Plan work
 Use the right equipment
 the equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and
maintained.
 Use competent people
PREVENT FALLS, REDUCE INJURY

HAZARDS
SLIPAND TRIP HAZARDS
Risks from slippery surfaces due to cargo residues,
water, oil etc… or hazardous due to scrap metals,
welding rods, dunnage etc... should be minimized
through use of good housekeeping

FALL FROM HEIGHTS
It may result in
 Fatalities.
 Neck or spinal injury leading to permanent disability or
paralysis.
 Multiple fractures

FALLING OF OBJECTS
If the edges of working area are open chance of falling of
objects or tools over the worker underneath may occur. Always
keep your tools safely. Fall of materials Preventive measures
should be taken against the fall of workers and tools or other
objects or materials

FALLING INTO PITS OR HOLES
There are many tanks or holes in the ship. So whenever walk
through a place be careful not to fall into these because
these will be in great heights and can cause great danger.

REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT
 Such a person must :
(a) Be trained and found competent in the correct use of fall protection
equipment.
(b) Be authorized in writing to use such equipment by having a certificate of
training and authorization (Working at Heights License)
 A pre-work HIRA must always be carried out before working at height.
 This pre-work HIRA must take the following into account:
 Tools and Equipment that will be required
 State the measures to prevent tools & equipment from falling from heights
 Any other securing methods determined as needed for this purpose.

Always give a height permit before doing a work at
height
 A work permit should be issued by a competent person by
inspecting the workplace before doing the work.
 Never allow any workers to work without getting a height work
permit.
 All the safety rules must be foolowed before giving the permit.

Precautions on working at height
Before doing any works precautions must be taken to minimize
accidents..
 Before any work carry out risk assessment.
 Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so.
 Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, by using the
right type of equipment where the risk cannot be eliminated.
 Safety belts should be provided to gas cutters working on heights
on ships.
 Only trained gas cutters are allowed to go on board for cutting.
 Always use proper PPE’s

 Give training to the workers
by training classes and also
by giving them ‘TOOL BOX
TALKS’
 Mark the area by signboards to avoid
falls from heights where there is more
chance of falls such as edges, near
tanks etc…

RISK ASSESSMENT
Examples of what to consider include:
 the work activity
 equipment to be used
 location of the work and any hazards
 working environment (weather, lighting)
 condition of existing work surfaces
 duration of the work
 physical capabilities of workers

FALL PROTECTION
 Fall protection can be done by many methods such as
 Proper use of PPE’s
 Proper use of harness
 Using fallback arrestor
 Using ladder properly
 By proper barricading
 Understanding acceptable anchor point
 Understanding appropriate fall distance

USE OF HARNESS
 Always use safety harness while
working at a height more than 1.8
metres.
 Safety belt alone wont save you
from fall , there are other
equipments that should be
connected to this safety belt
called as connectors such as
snaphooks or Dee-rings,
connection points, lanyards,
deceleration devices, lifelines,
etc…

Know the A, B, Cs of
Personal Fall Arrest
Systems
 Anchorages
 Body harness
 Components
(connectors like snaphooks or Dee-rings,
connection points, lanyards, deceleration
devices, lifelines, etc.)

LANYARDS
 Lanyards are typically short sections of webbing or cable that
are usually attached to the D-ring of a workers safety harness.
 Usually a double lanyard is used.

LIFELINES
 A lifeline is a fall protection safety device in the form of an open
fence composed of wire and stanchions secured around the
perimeter of an area to prevent accidental falls.
 Lanyards are connected to the lifelines while these lanyards are
connected with safety harness.
 2 types of lifelines
 Horizontal lifelines
A horizontal lifeline is typically a cable that is installed parallel
to a fall hazard
 Vertical lifelines
Vertical Lifelines are ropes and cables that can be attached
overhead of a ladder or the slope of a building.

HORIZONTAL LIFELINES VERTICAL LIFELINES

BARRICADING
 All openings through which workers are liable to fall should be
kept effectively covered or fenced and indicated in the most
appropriate manner.

USE OF LADDERS
Not banned but should only work from a ladder (including step
ladder)
 when other equipment such as a tower scaffold is not suitable
 for light work that takes a few minutes
 of the correct type and in good condition
 placed on firm level ground and properly secured
 and set at the correct length and angle for the job

Ladders
 If a ladder is properly used it:
 Enables only one person to climb or descend at any one time
 Enables only one person to work from it at any one time
 If not lashed at the top, requires two workers for use – one on the ladder and the
other at the bottom
 Leaves both hands free
 Restricts movement
 Has to be safely situated and secured
 Has a limitation on heights at which it can be used

What is the difference?
FALLARREST SYSTEMS
 It is a system to prevent injuries
by means of arresting an
inadvertent fall . (by preventing a
person from hitting the ground at
a high speed.)
 Body Harness
 Lanyard
 Lifelines (Vertical & horizontal)
 Anchor Points
 Shock absorbers
 Deceleration devices
 Drop lines
FALL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
 It is a system preventing injuries by
means of preventing a person who
works within 2 meter from the edge
of a height from inadvertently falling
off the edge.
 Body Harness
 Lanyard
 Lifelines (Vertical & horizontal)
 Anchor Points

Fall Hazard Controls
Hierarchy of Fall Hazard Control:
First line of defense
 Eliminate the fall hazard
Second line of defense
 Prevent the fall
Third and last resort
 Control the fall

Eliminate fall hazards
 work from the ground
 Gauge at top of tank moved to ground level
 Use drone, equipped with camera, for inspections at
heights

Prevent the fall
 Standard railing
Top rail, mid rail, and posts
Height from upper surface of top rail to floor level is 42” (+/− 3”)
Mid-rail height is 21”
 Use an existing or ‘safe’ place of work where no additional measures
are required
 Use working platforms with guardrails or powered access platforms
 Use a work restraint system (preventing someone getting into a
position from which he can fall)

Prevent the fall – personal all restraint
 Prevent falls by keeping worker from reaching fall hazard
 Comprised of a body belt or body harness, an anchorage, connectors
 Often used when section of guardrail or hole cover is temporarily
removed

PFAS – connecting components
 A retractable lanyard. Designed to greatly decrease the free fall distance by locking-up
quickly, similar to the shoulder belt in a car.
 A 6 foot shock absorbing lanyard. The shock absorber decreases the forces of the fall arrest
on the body to safe levels when properly used.
 A 6 foot non-shock absorbing lanyard. Often used for fall restraint.

Control the fall
 safety net systems and Air Bags
 Consists of specially designed mesh nets, panels, and
connecting components
 Must be designed, installed and maintained properly

Employer Requirements
Inspection
Your employer must inspect the:
workplace for existing and potential fall hazards
fall hazard controls used; such as guardrails, covers,
grates, and anchorage points
 You must inspect your PFAS, Positioning and Fall Restraint
hardware before each use.

RESCUE FROM FALL FROM HEIGHTS
SELF RESCUE
 It is an act or instance of an employee
using his fall protection equipment to
rescue him or herself if he suddenly
suspends from the working position is
so as to reduce the chance of accident.
 Worker himself tries to escape from the
fall.
 In this he may use a footwrap system.

How to do a foot wrap
 Step 1
Grasp the lifeline hanging below you (that’s
the trailing end). Wrap it once under your right
foot starting from the inside, then loop it over
the top
Step 1
 Step 2
Stretch the lifeline out horizontally and
step into it with your left foot.
Step 2

 Step 3
Raise the trailing end of the
lifeline and bring both parts
together. You have now created a
loop that will allow you to stand.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 4
continue to hold on to the lifeline with both hands and stand
up. This will relieve the pressure on your upper legs. When
you get tired, you can shift back to a sitting position. While
waiting for help, alternate between sitting in the harness and
standing in the loop. You can also distribute weight between
your feet and the harness. To climb up or down short
distances, slide the rope grab up (to climb up) or down (to
climb down); sit back down, grasp another bite of rope, then
repeat the process.of the foot.

LADDER RESCUE
 It is the mostly used rescue if self rescue is not possible.
 The workers use another ladder near the fallen worker and helps him.
 Don’t use the same ladder which the victim is used.

 If the fallen worker is suspended from a lifeline, move the worker (if
possible) to an area that rescuers can access safely with a ladder.
 Set up the appropriate ladder(s) to reach the fallen worker.
 Rig separate lifelines for rescuers to use while carrying out the rescue from
the ladder(s).
 If the fallen worker is not conscious or cannot reliably help with the rescue,
at least two rescuers may be needed.
 If the fallen worker is suspended directly from a lanyard or a lifeline,
securely attach a separate lowering line to the harness.
 Other rescuers on the ground (or closest work surface) should lower the
fallen worker while the rescuer on the ladder guides the fallen worker to the
ground (or work surface).
 Once the fallen worker has been brought to a safe location, administer first
aid and treat the person for suspension trauma and any other injury.
 Arrange transportation to hospital if required.
Points to be remembered..

PULLEY TECHNIQUE
 A technical aided-rescue system that will raise or lower a suspended
worker
 Pulley systems are easy, inexpensive and safe
 Easily rescue someone within no time.

How it works ?
 Whenever doing job at height always be sure
for emergency rescue so wear the safety
harness
 If a worker falls then connect a wire rope with
hook to the worker’s harness and the other
end is connected to a proper anchor point
through the pulley.
 So whenever a fall occurs we can easily drag
him up or loose him down to a safe working
floor.
 Also if worker is working in a confined space
then a tripod should be used for rescue as
shown in the above figure
 We can also save the unconscious workers by
the method shown in this figure

working at height

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