A Modern Approach to Working Safely at Heights

Working at height, regulations are there for a reason.

You may read that heading and think, “Yes, we know that –, and we follow them.” But the regulations are often followed with less care than we may think; a recent study in the Netherlands reports that, “according to the labor inspectorate, more than 80% of Dutch construction sites violate safety regulations for working from heights”.

Numerous countries worldwide, including the United States (OSHA) and the United Kingdom (HSE Executive) have indicated similar findings despite stringent working-at-height regulations.

We need to look more closely at how well we comply with regulations, and that begins with an understanding of what those regulations are.

Lack of training contributes to higher accident rates

Any seasoned safety professional knows that accidents can be traced back to a wide variety of causes; however, when investigating causes and behaviors in relation to working at height closely, some consistent elements can be identified. One of the most common underlying causes is a simple failure to provide managers and workers with the information they need about the risks workers face when working in such environments. Better clarity on the strategies to reduce or eliminate those risks is also often found to be lacking, despite many organizations being prepared to provide the resources necessary to prevent incidents.

A study in China said something very similar: “Despite the improvement of digital technologies (e.g., building information modeling) in enhancing construction safety management, human factor-related issues such as individual perceptions, attitudes, and behavior in safety cannot be downplayed.”

What we mean by height

Although working above ground distances may slightly differ depending on industry and country of operation, most of the regulations in force around the world take 5 feet (Approximately 1.5 Meters) off the ground as signaling the existence of working at height.

It would be unwise, though, to focus only on this figure and to say that there is no need for precautions at lower heights – workers have suffered serious or fatal injuries from incidents that happened when they were no more than 9 inches above the ground.

Only work at height when necessary

Elimination or substitution based on what is known in occupational safety and health as the Hierarchy of Controls is key!

Employers should identify situations where, for example, working from a ladder can be replaced by working on a well-constructed platform. Or situations where well-constructed scaffoldings or Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP) could be utilized rather than that ladder.

Many such decisions, of course, depend on the type of work and the availability of resources to provide alternative means of work access. Such decisions should only be made after a thorough risk assessment has been conducted.

Provision of fall protection equipment such as harnesses should only be seen as a last resort and full attention needs to be given to ensure safe and stable working environments are created.

What the regulations say

Every developed and developing country has its own body responsible for occupational safety and health and it isn’t possible to list every set of regulations here. When starting a contract in any region, it is essential to establish what authority sets the rules and what those rules are.

However, there are several rules that apply virtually everywhere. What is important is that:

a)????the contractor knows what the rules are and puts in place the necessary arrangements to comply with them and, just as importantly…

b)???the workforce is trained to comply with the rules and use the correct safety equipment provided. Some of the most important regulations include:

• Taking all necessary steps to avoid falls, whether from a roof, a ladder, or through a fragile surface. This can involve, for example, guard rails, safety harnesses, clearly marked walkways, scaffolding instead of ladders, and restraining equipment
• Making sure the equipment is sufficiently strong and stable for its purpose. Establish programs to have it checked and maintained regularly!
• Provide protection from falling objects (and this frequently means more than hard hats)

Finally, make sure that everyone who is or even may be required to work at height is properly trained in safety precautions and in the use of the equipment provided – and, even before that happens, check that they are physically able to undertake to work at height.