Working safely is always the main priority and considering the risks associated with working at height and putting in place sensible and proportionate measures to manage them, is an important aspect of this. Working at height refers to any work where a person could potentially fall and injure themselves.
There is obvious potential for workers to be harmed while working at height on projects such as roof’s, with height-related incidents being one of the most prominent causes of workplace injuries, so ensuring you employ the right person for the job is important. Our safety tips for working at height can assist you in this choice.
Plan thoroughly
Take a sensible, pragmatic approach when considering precautions for work at height. Factors to weigh up include the height of the task; the duration and frequency; and the condition of the surface being worked on. You should carry out a risk assessment on each working at height scenario, and then control the risk of an accident by providing the right equipment and safety measures. Always consider measures that protect everyone who is at risk, not just the person carrying out the work.
Use the right equipment
Always ensure that you have the right equipment on hand to complete the task safely. Equipment that is specifically designed to allow the user to work safely at height (eg ladders, scaffolds, tower scaffolds ) is commonly called ‘access equipment’ Each piece of equipment comes with risks which should be fully understood to ensure your safety.
The most common types of equipment when working at height include:
- Fixed scaffolding
- Tower scaffolds
- Mobile Elevated Working Platforms (MEWPs)
- Ladders and stepladders
- Trestles and staging
Inspect the equipment
Under the Working at Height Regulations, you have a legal duty to ensure your fall protection equipment is inspected on a regular basis. And with working at height a key issue for health and safety officials, it’s essential to take those responsibilities seriously. Inspections must be recorded and carried out by a competent person and records kept should include, where appropriate, visual, functional checks and testing.
Training
The most important element of working at height is having competent and skilled workers. So, what makes a person ‘competent’ when it comes to working at height? Competence indicates that a person has enough knowledge and skills to be able to perform a task effectively or successfully and will be fully informed of the work to be undertaken and have the relevant training to make them qualified.
Using a professional company with a wealth of experience is imperative and at All Seasons Industrial Roofing we make sure that everyone in our team is fully trained on how to safely work at height with all the latest up to date legislation and criteria needed to ensure a safe work environment for all.
Monitor
Throughout the work make sure that you are constantly reviewing the process and taking note of any changes to your environment. As with our line of work, being out in the open means that it’s important to take note of the weather and what the elements might be about to throw at you, with an eye for any emerging risks or concerns. If there are any issues or causes for concern, halt the work until they can be addressed, and then safely continue with the task in hand.
