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What is a Risk Assessment
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Carrying out risk assessments are an essential part to having a safe area of work and to keep accidents to a minimum.
The Building Services Guide brings you the Health & Safety Executives quick guide to
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Working at Height Regulations, Work at Height, Height Regulations
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Changes to the working at height regulations were applied recently. The Building Services Guide have brought you a brief of what this could mean for you.
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Electrical Regulation Changes Hurts the DIY Enthusiast
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Implementation of Part P means that Electrical DIY has been hit. Anything other than changing a plug or light socket needs to be carried out or tested by a qualified person.
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| Article: Working at Height Regulations, Work at Height, Height Regulations |
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Changes to the working at height regulations were applied recently. The Building Services Guide have brought you a brief of what this could mean for you.
Background
Falls from height are the biggest single cause of workplace fatal injuries, (accounting for 40% of all such fatalities in 2004-5) and the second biggest cause of major injuries at work. Research shows that 60% of all major injuries are caused by falls from height of below 2 metres.
Traditionally, work at height has been regarded as work over 2 metres. There is already a general requirement to consider work at height risks for all types of work and specific requirements for the construction industry. The new regulations spell out specific requirements and principles for all types of work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause injury, regardless of the height.
What will be required?
The overriding principle is that employers must do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent anyone falling.
The regulations also require that managers follow this simple hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment for working at height:
The Regulations Hierarchy
The main requirements of the regulations are that:
Any work at height needs to be planned in advance of the work activity, with careful consideration given to the selection and use of work equipment. The safe system of work needs to take account of:
• Any supervision of workers that may be necessary, eg work equipment selected lower down the hierarchy of control, such as fall arrest equipment, will require a higher level of supervision.
• Any weather conditions that workers may be exposed to, eg carrying out maintenance on an icy roof, or working in rainy conditions on a slippery surface;
• Any emergency or rescue procedures that may be required, eg if persons falls while using a fall arrest system. It is not acceptable just to rely on the emergency services, it needs to be covered in the risk assessment and planned prior to the work activity being carried out. For example, how will an unconscious person be rescued after having fallen into a net? How will a person be rescued after having fallen in a fall-arrest harness? You may need to consider the use of a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP), ladder or tower to undertake a rescue.
• equipment is carefully selected – consider working conditions, working height, distance and consequences of a fall, duration and frequency of use.
• the risks from fragile surfaces (roof lights, asbestos roofs etc) are identified and properly controlled and
• any equipment used is properly inspected and maintained.
• Injuries as a result of falling objects are prevented.
Who is competent to work at height?
Competency is the experience, knowledge and appropriate qualifications that enable a worker to identify the risks arising from a situation and the measures needed to be taken.
Those undertaking a height work activity need to be trained in the selected system of work and any particular work equipment chosen. For example if a MEWP is selected then the operator must be trained in its use. If nets are used the net riggers must be trained in how to erect them safely. Managers should check that those doing the work are adequately trained.
For employees who regularly carry out work at height, eg roofers, it may be necessary for them to attend a formal training course on safe working procedures when at height, rather than just on-the-job training.
Examples of the type of work now covered by regulations include:-
• many types of construction work
• clearing gutters and rainwater pipes
• painting walls and ceilings
• changing light bulbs
• working on flat roofs.
• working from a ladder
Duties are placed on the employer and any other person that control the work of others, for example a buildings/facilities manager that contracts others to work at height.
What action is needed?
Check that existing risk assessments you have carried out for work at height activities take the above into account.
If you haven't done any risk assessments then one needs to be carried out.
In a risk assessment you need to:
a. Look for the hazards.
b. Decide who might be harmed and how.
c. Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done.
d. Record your findings where necessary.
e. Review your assessment.
Examples of what to consider include:
• the work activity;
• the equipment to be used;
• the duration of the work;
• the location where the work activity is due to take place, ie presence of hazards such as overhead power lines, open excavations, underground services etc;
• the working environment, eg weather conditions, lighting;
• condition and stability of existing work surfaces;
• physical capabilities of the workers, eg pregnancy, vertigo suffers.
Where can I get further information?
The Health and Safety Executive has produced the following which gives more information about the regulations:
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 – a brief guide
Question and Answer brief for the Construction Industry on the Work at Height Regulations 2005. |
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