How to ensure safety when working at height
Falls from heights remain one of the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities, with the TT Club warning that falling heights do not always have to be as great as believed to cause harm.
TTypically in the international context there is no specific minimum size above which regulations apply and each jurisdiction has its own requirements. Likewise, the need for fall protection equipment varies.
Operators throughout the supply chain therefore need to be familiar with the different local regulations in each location where they employ people.
Working at height remains one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in the workplace. The general perception is that these relate to falls from ladders or through fragile surfaces where workers are far from the underlying surface. This is not always the case
emphasizes Mike Yarwood, managing director of loss prevention at TT “It might come as a shock to learn that a man died falling just five feet from a standard container that was on a road trailer.”
As Mr Yarwood goes on to explain, the deceased worker was in an open-topped container preparing access for an overhead crane to remove the load from steel beams. He fell out of the container because the rear doors of the unit were open.
Although the company had various general risk assessments and safe working practice statements, they had not put in place simple control measures to prevent or mitigate a fall from the back of this container. The tragedy could have been averted.
A court fined the company £200,000 (US$236,000) plus costs. But the penalty could have been much greater and potentially unlimited. The case highlights a key issue – many trucking and warehousing companies may not view working in the back of an open wheeled trailer or container as “working at height”.
The case also highlights a key issue; the fact that many hauliers and warehousing companies may not consider working in the back of an open wheeled trailer or container as “working at height”.
Because protecting the workforce must be a priority, TT has summarized a seven-step approach to help:
- Conduct a risk assessment for working at height
- Implement training on working at height
- Invest in personal protective equipment (PPE) for working at height
- Complete maintenance of safety equipment
- Implement a personal security system
- Update and review your procedures
- Record everything
As with any risk reduction, awareness of the hazards is the primary necessity. After that, common sense is best – where working at height cannot easily be avoided, take steps to avoid falling with fall protection devices etc
concludes Mr. Yarwood.
