Working at height, as defined by Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is “work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury”.
Falls from height are the most common cause of fatalities and serious injuries in the workplace, so if you and/or your employees are working at height, you have to be mindful of the potential risks.
Today, we’re going to look at some of the most common working from height hazards and what you can do to mitigate them, reducing the likelihood of a dangerous fall.
1) Ladder misuse
Improper ladder use is a very common cause of falls from height. Using the wrong ladder for the job, placing it on or against unstable surfaces and overreaching are all common user errors.
Stay safe on your ladder by:
- Selecting a ladder that’s suitable for the task at hand
- Inspecting the ladder before use to make sure it’s in good condition
- Following the manufacturer’s guidelines for use (including maximum load weight)
2) Fragile surfaces
Many falls from height involve a worker falling through a fragile surface. For example, a roof may collapse when someone is walking around on it.
You should ideally avoid working on surfaces that may be fragile. If this can’t be avoided, a thorough risk assessment should be carried out beforehand and workers must be equipped with sufficient personal protective equipment (e.g. fall arrest lanyards) to stop any potential falls.
3) Overhead power lines
Direct contact with power lines can of course be fatal, but merely getting too close can also cause dangerous flashovers or electrical shocks.
If work must be carried out near power lines, it’s essential that a proper risk assessment is carried out by a competent person beforehand. Extra care must be taken when setting up to avoid accidental contact with power lines.
4) Inadequate edge protection
High spots with no edge protection leave workers at a higher risk of slipping or falling over the exposed edge, potentially putting them in the path of injury or even death.
To minimise the risk, install barriers and guardrails on scaffolds, roofs and other elevated surfaces where workers are present. Restraint equipment should also be used to minimise the risk of a fall.
Restraint Equipment
5) Clutter
Equipment that’s haphazardly strewn about can cause trips, slips and falls. This includes falls from elevated surfaces and ladders slipping due to insufficient contact with the ground.
Ensuring equipment is properly stored and keeping the workplace free of dangerous clutter can go a long way towards keeping people safe when working.
6) Falling objects
When you’re working from height, you’re not the only person in harm’s way—there is also a risk to the people below you. Even a light object, when dropped from height, can pose a significant risk to those on the ground.
Precautions to take include:
- Using a chinstrap to keep your hard hat from falling off
- Attaching tools to safety cords to prevent them from falling if dropped
- Safety netting to catch any dropped objects
- Planning in advance for how to safely move objects between levels
7) Adverse weather
Poor weather conditions such as wind, rain, ice or extreme temperatures increase the risk of accidents. Rain and ice make surfaces unreliably slippery. Strong winds can make elevated surfaces unsteady. Low temperatures can affect your hands’ ability to grip, while high temperatures can reduce your mental focus and increase tiredness.
Avoid working at height in adverse weather. Similarly, if the weather conditions take a turn for the worse while work is underway, discontinue work from height until it is safe to resume.
8) Inadequate or incorrect equipment
Equipment such as scaffolding, ladders and guardrails that are no longer in good working order or simply wrong for the job can impart a false sense of security where no such security exists.
Only the correct equipment should be used, and all gear should be properly maintained and inspected before each use, with a more thorough inspection to be conducted by a competent person periodically. If the condition of any equipment has deteriorated, it should be replaced.
9) Poor training and inadequate risk assessment
Without the proper training and guidance, it’s more likely that poor decisions will be made and accidents will occur. Likewise, competent risk assessment is an important part of preparing for any type of work at height.
Make sure all workers are properly trained and thorough risk assessments / planning are carried out before work begins. Awareness of safety procedures and protocols should be second nature to anyone who works at height. The HSE provides a free guide to protect you and your workers.
10) Insufficient PPE
Even with the above precautions, falls will sometimes happen. That’s why effective personal protective equipment (PPE) is also essential for anyone working from height. The right PPE can arrest your fall and potentially save your life.
No matter what your work environment, here at Safety Harness Direct we have the gear you need to stay safe on the job.
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