Purpose
This document describes the methods required for carrying out work at heights for our company.
Scope
This procedure applies to all workers for our company who are performing work at heights and includes its contractors.
Policy Statement
Always conduct a risk assessment before any controls are implemented and a risk assessment after the controls are implemented to ensure the risk has been reduced. Supervisors must, before the work starts, ensure that each hazard that may result in a fall or cause death or injury if the person were to fall is identified, risk assessed and control measures are implemented.
Manage the risk of falls
Employ Hierarchy of controls for heights
- Level 1 – Working on the ground: Assembling components on the ground and lifting into position
- Level 2 – Passive fall protection: Using EWP, scaffolding to work from
- Level 3 – Work positioning system or fall restraint system: Using static lines on the work area
- Level 4 – Fall injury prevention: Fall-arrest systems, catch platforms, industrial safety nets
- Level 5 – Ladders or administration: Safe work methods, signage, barriers, policies, procedures
Consider the Hierarchy in deciding on a course of action:
- Can the need to work at height be avoided to eliminate the risk of a fall?
- Can the fall be prevented by working on solid construction?
- Can the risk of a fall be minimised by providing and maintaining a safe system of work,
- including, providing a fall prevention device
The working area
Erect exclusion zones which can be an effective method of making sure people are not exposed to hazards, with adequate supervision.
You should ensure that, where it is necessary for industrial rope access systems to be used:
- operators are competent in the technique
- operators do not work alone
- all equipment is checked regularly by a competent person
- all operators wear a full body harness
- supervisors can communicate with workers
- Before starting work at heights. A primary objective of work planning and design is to prevent falls from heights.
Choosing a safe access method
- Managing the risks associated with work at heights begins when you first start making decisions about how to access equipment is going to be used at a workplace and what type of access equipment will be best and safest for the job.
- Where required, a SWMS will set out the work method to safety erect, use and dismantle access equipment.
- A person with management or control of a workplace must prevent unauthorised access to the work area while the access equipment unattended.
- Entry to access equipment should be restricted to those carrying out the work.
- Control measures, for example, barriers and warning signs, should be used to prevent unauthorised access when the access equipment is left unattended.
- Ground conditions should be stable and those using the access equipment should be aware of any factors that may affect ground stability before or during its use.
- Ground conditions should be assessed by a competent person to check the ground is stable and able to bear the most adverse combination of dead, live and environmental loads that can reasonably be expected during the period the access equipment is to be erected and dismantled and while it is in use.
- Water and nearby excavations may lead to ground subsidence and the collapse of a scaffold. Any likely watercourse, for example, a recently filled trench that has the potential to create a washout under the access equipment base should be diverted away from the scaffold
Working platforms
Working platforms should have duty classifications and dimensions complying with the manufacturer’s information on loadings.
All access equipment should be designed to carry the required number of working platforms and to support the dead and live loads.
Working platforms should:
- have a slip-resistant surface
- not be cracked or split
- be of uniform thickness
- be secure – so it cannot be kicked off or susceptible to uplift or displacement during normal use
- be positioned so no single gap between planks exceeds 10 mm, and
- not be lapped on straight runs of modular and tube and coupler scaffolding but may be lapped on hanging bracket scaffolds were butting of planks at a pair of brackets cannot be achieved
Objects that could fall on members of the public:
- Identify the proposed line along which a barricade or hoarding is to be erected (refer to the ‘Building Fencing and Hoarding Requirements Calculator – on the LGW website);
- Install a gantry to stop any objects that may fall; or
- Install an 1800 mm chain wire barricade; or
- Install an 1800 mm hoarding; and
- Erect signs at the entry indicating construction work ‘No unauthorised entry’.
Signs
The relevant person must before the work starts erect enough signs to adequately indicate to members of the public:
- The nature of the workplace;
- That unauthorised entry to the workplace is not allowed;
- The direction the pedestrians or traffic is to move.
- AS 1319:1994 Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment
Inspections
- All items of equipment which are in regular use should be subjected to periodic inspection and where applicable, servicing at the manufacturer’s recommended interval or earlier. The inspection and servicing should be carried out by a competent person;
- Service labels or tags should record the last date on which a full service was carried out. Servicing history tags should be maintained including date of purchase, serial numbers, life expiry date and next service details;
- Ladders, Trestles scaffolding that is broken, have damaged treads, showing signs of wear or with any other defect, which would render them unsafe, are to be taken out of service and labelled with a ‘Danger – Out of Service’ tag.
Using Ladders
- Use a step platform ladder, where possible, as they provide a larger, more stable work surface than ladders.
- Always maintain three points of contact when ascending, descending or standing on a ladder.
- Do not use ladders on balconies or other areas that increase the potential fall distance for the user.
- Ensure employees do not:
- stand higher than the second tread below the top plate of any stepladder
- use ladders when using tools that require a high degree of force or are designed to be operated with two hands
- use ladders to work above other people.
- Ensure ladders are placed squarely on firm, non-slip surfaces. Secure ladders by tying them to a support at the top and/or bottom. Alternatively, have another person ‘foot’ the ladder.
- Inspect ladders regularly. Repair or replace ladders where rungs, steps or treads or top plates are missing, worn, damaged or loose.
Personal Equipment
Items which have been marked with an expiry date and that date has been reached should be taken out of service, labelled with a ‘Danger – Out of Service’ tag until destroyed.
Training
- Specific job training should be completed for staff conducting height work;
- Ongoing training or refresher training should be provided periodically to ensure that relevant staff are competent;
- Staff are to be advised of the requirements of trenching including the work method statements through conducting a toolbox talk
Records – Equipment & Maintenance
- Equipment registers, documenting maintenance and servicing history should be maintained and available to operators and users of the equipment;
- The requirements for the inspection of personal and common use equipment used for working at heights is summarised from AS/NZS 1891.4:2000; and
- All records should be kept for 5 years.