Health and Safety Manual Section F9 Working at Height

1. Health and Safety Manual Section F9Working at Height

2. Height • A place from which a person may fall and be injured, even if at or below ground level. • Includes: • roofs, bridges and other elevated structures • ladders, stepladders, platforms, scaffolds, etc • ground level, next to an excavation • work near to fragile materials • erecting scaffolding

3. Standards Risk assessment needed, covering: • The work activity • Work equipment to be used • Duration of the work • Location of the work • Specific hazards – power lines, services, excavations, height above 2 metres

4. Standards • Environment – weather, lighting, etc. • Condition and stability of existing work surfaces, flooring, steps, slopes • The physical capability of the workers – health, fitness, pregnancy, vertigo, etc. • All stages of the work – inc. installing, using, dismantling, potential rescue, etc. • Training needs.

5. Risk Controls • Proper planning • Competent people • Appropriate work equipment • Avoiding work at height • Collective fall prevention • Collective fall arrest • Personal fall protection

6. Ladders • Ladders should only be considered where a risk assessment has shown that the use of other more suitable work equipment is not appropriate, because of: • low risk • short duration • light work • considerations of where the work is located • a ladder register must be maintained