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Falls from height still remains the biggest single cause of fatal injuries in the construction industry. The regulations have been in force since 2005, and are known as the Working at Height Regulations.
It is the firm intention of The Company to fully comply with these regulations and prevent all falls from height both from above and below ground level.
This procedure is intended to give the expectations of the company for all persons carrying out work at height. When producing Method Statements and Risk Assessments for this work, then these requirements must be noted and adhered to.
It will be the responsibility of the Contracts or Project/Site Manager devising the safe system of work and producing the Method Statements and Risk Assessments to ensure that the requirements of this procedure are incorporated.
It will be the responsibility of the Foreman to ensure that the requirements of the Method Statement and Risk Assessment are adhered to by the operatives involved in the works.
It will be the responsibility of the operatives involved in the works to adhere to the requirements of the Method Statements and Risk Assessments.
The Company will ensure that all trade operatives who work at height receive adequate training for this activity. This training should normally consist of external specialist training given by recognised providers. The level of training required will depend on the complexity of the works involved, e.g.:
Planning and organisation:
Work at height appreciation
Work at height for supervisory staff
RC Frame operatives Harness use and inspection, work restraint
Crane erectors Harness use and inspection
Scaffolders Harness use and inspection
Confined Space Entry Harness and winch use and inspection
All the above training must include a degree of rescue training and planning for emergencies
Avoiding work at height is a principle factor in the prevention of falls. When it is possible, avoidance measures will be considered such as;
The use of low maintenance materials
The use of pre-cast elements of concrete structures such as stairs, arches and decretive panels
The utilisation of existing places of work for after care and maintenance operations
It is important to note that we cannot always influence the design or specification of the works, therefore avoidance will not always be achievable.
The use of bandstands is permitted by The Company providing that they meet the following requirements;
They are placed on firm level ground.
Blocks or timber are not used to increase the height or jack the legs to a precarious angle.
The correct pins are used for adjustment of the leg.
A handrail system is to be incorporated that meets the requirements of a 950mm top handrail and an intermediate rail that is no greater than 470mm below the top rail.
If there is a risk of falling materials, then a toe board and brick guards are to be fitted.
The platform is fully boarded with scaffold or Youngman boards.
Tower scaffolds are widely used and are involved in numerous accidents each year, these usually happen because the tower is not properly erected or used. It is essential that people who erect/use tower scaffolds have received training in the safe erection/use of the equipment.
All tower scaffolds must conform to the following requirements;
Erected as per the manufacturers requirements by a trained and competent person who holds a current PASMA certificate
Erected using only the components supplied by the manufacturer
Fitted with double handrails and toe boards and be provided with internal access
Relocation of any such tower can only take place once all personnel and materials have been removed from the platform.
Scafftag system to be used.
These towers that can be used for low level work such as under slung drainage installation and the placement of header beams in Titan construction. These towers can be erected by a competent person who must follow the manufacturer’s instructions. When erecting a hop-up tower, the following requirements must be adhered to;
They are intended for low level work and must not be erected with the platform on the uppermost support area.
All components are to be used including the top handrail.
The fold out bars are to be fully locked out and the catches secured.
The platform is to be fully located in the locked position.
Brakes are applied to towers that have 4 wheels.
The platform height can be extended provided that the height does not exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations and the correct extension handrails are fitted.
The internal access is to be used.
When hop-ups are used next to a slab edge, then an extension panel must be fitted to the proprietary edge protection system.
A visual inspection of the platform is to be undertaken by the user prior to starting work.
When hop ups are used, they must be fit for purpose and constructed to meet the Class 1 EN131 standard. Make shift or homemade hop ups cannot be relied upon to remain stable and thus prevent a low level fall.
These system steps are an ideal solution for single operative works. They operate in a similar way to the hop-up towers and can be erected by a competent person following the manufacturer’s instructions. These are the preferred alternative to normal step ladders and pole or extension ladders. They provide a stable working platform that can be relocated through internal doorways without the need for dismantling and rebuilding. When used scafftags will be fitted
These platforms are a purpose built platform designed to cantilever off specially designed brackets and location pins. It is essential that these platforms are assembled and installed by competent personnel and as per the manufactures instructions. All of these platforms must conform to the following requirements;
The platform is to be positioned so that there is a sufficient amount of vertical surface left to prevent the operative falling internally over the top of the wall that the platform is fixed to. If this cannot be achieved, then internal handrails are to be fitted.
All platforms are to be fitted with a proprietary edge protection system that conforms to the requirements of a double handrail and toe board with the top handrail at a minimum height of 950mm and an intermediate handrail no greater than 470mm below the top handrail.
The platform is to be fully boarded and not leave any gaps large enough for a person or materials to fall through.
A secure ladder access is to be provided.
If the platform is provided with removable lifting eyes, then valid certification must be provided by the supplier for all the lifting eyes used on the platform.
If the platform is provided with fixed lifting eyes, the platform as a whole must be certified for lifting.
Temporary works procedure AP25 to be followed to ensure the platforms are designed, checked and permits raised to Construct, Load and strike.
On some occasions, The Company will be required to provide tube and fitting scaffold working platforms and access towers. In these situations, the following requirements must be adhered to;
Only trained and competent persons with CISRS cards will be permitted to erect scaffold platforms.
Proof of competency must be obtained for the person procured to erect scaffolding.
No untrained personnel are to be permitted to erect, dismantle or alter any platform.
When erecting scaffold, then the requirements of SG4:22 are to be followed where the person is to wear and use personal work restraint equipment until such time as the platform is fully boarded and the handrails are fitted.
Secure ladder access is to be used at all times, no climbing on the standards or ledger frames to gain access will be permitted.
No work is to be permitted on incomplete scaffold, access to any such structures is to be prevented and signs are to be erected stating “incomplete scaffold”.
No work is to commence on any scaffold structure until it has been inspected by a competent person
It is recommended that hop-up towers are used for the construction of the under carriage work when constructing Titan framework. However, in some circumstances, the height of the frame work exceeds the safe working height of the hop-up towers. In these situations, the following requirements must be adhered to;
All platforms (ledger frames) must be fully boarded with Titan boards or Youngman Boards.
No gaps must be left that are big enough for persons or materials can fall through.
Handrail brackets and tube and fitting handrails must be used that achieves the requirements for a double handrail where the top handrail is no less than 950mm high and the intermediate handrail is no greater than 470mm below the top handrail.
A toe board is not necessary as there will not be any operatives working below the area, therefore the risk of persons being hit by falling materials will not be present.
A secure ladder access must be provided.
Youngman boards must not over hang the ledger frame supports any more than 300mm so as to prevent over balancing of the platform board.
Ladders are a proprietary means of access used by The Company until such time that stairs can be constructed and installed. In certain circumstances due to design or site constraints, it may not be practicable to install or construct the stairs in a reasonable space of time. In these circumstances we will consider the use of temporary stair systems.
All ladders used are subject to the following requirements;
Only Class 1 ladders that conform to BS2037 (aluminium) or BS1129 (wooden) are to be used and are often referred to as “heavy industrial type”.
Class 2 or 3 ladders are not permitted on construction sites.
All ladders are to fit for purpose and suitable for the task for which they are intended.
Ladders must extend 1m above the landing point unless a suitable hand hold is provided.
Ladders are to be footed until they have been tied into position
Ladders are to be positioned at the optimum slope or 1 in 4.
Any damaged ladders are to be withdrawn from service.
Ladders should not be painted as the paint may hide a substantial defect that could lead to equipment failure.
All ladders are to be inspected prior to use and periodically not exceeding periods greater than seven days. Records of all inspections are to be recorded in the CDM Register and scaff tagged.
Any work that is undertaken from ladders should only be permitted if the use of a working platform is impractical and only if;
The work is of short duration for example a few minutes!
The work can be carried out by the user, using just one hand; this will achieve three points of contact that must be achieved at all times.
No overreaching will be permitted.
Scaff tags to be fitted and numbered.
It is not anticipated that the work undertaken by The Company will not require the use of step ladders. However, in exceptional circumstances, should they be required, only Class 1 step ladders will be used and will meet the requirements as stated above?
The majority of the edge protection used by The Company utilises a fixed and rigid system manufactured by Combisafe. The system consists of a universal foot that is clamped to the Titan Beams and held in place with a hammered in wedge. A post is then inserted to the foot. This allows for mesh panels with solid toe boards to be fitted to the posts. When carrying out decking works, this edge protection will be installed as soon as is practicable as the decking work progresses.
Upon completion of the slab pour and prior to striking the Formwork/Falsework, screwed feet will be fixed to the slab and the posts and panels will be transferred inward and fixed to the new feet. This system will remain in place until such time as scaffold handrails or other edge protection systems are installed by the client.
In some circumstances, additional panels will be needed to increase the overall height of the edge protection system, i.e.
The construction of in-situ balconies
When operatives are required to work on the slab edge at heights that exceed the existing edge protection system.
In all situations, the following requirements must be met;
All Combisafe systems must be installed by competent personnel
All components must be installed as per the manufacturer’s instructions and or the Method Statements that are provided to the site.
All clamp feet must be fully located and fixed only on beams that run perpendicular to the slab edge.
All screwed in feet must be fully located in the slab so that the flanged edge is flush with the slab surface.
All panels must be securely located and fixed to prevent accidental or unauthorised removal.
Any damaged panels are to be withdrawn from use and replaced.
No gaps must be left that are large enough for a person to pass or fall through.
If the panels cannot be fitted flush to the deck or floor edge, then additional infill toe board panels are to be fitted.
There will be occasions when tube and fitting scaffold edge protection will be used. In these situations only competent operatives will fit such equipment and the following requirements will be adhered to;
Standards will be driven into the excavation edges and fitted with a double handrail.
Toe boards will be fitted if there is a risk of materials falling into the excavation below.
These barriers will be constructed of three standards and a single handrail to act as a segregation barrier to prevent access to any open slab edge.
All segregation barriers must be positioned a minimum of 1.5m from the open edge
All `A` Frame barriers must be secure and be able to remain free standing and not be left loose enough to fold flat and collapse.
Any such segregation barrier must be fitted with a preventative access warning sign such as “no unauthorised persons beyond this point”
Strongback’s are steel support beams that are used in the construction of walls. They have holes pre-cast into them that allows a scaffold tube to be passed through at various heights. When these are used to support tube type handrails then the following requirements must be followed.
The Strongback beams must be fully secured to the wall.
The scaffold tubes are to be passed through the pre-formed holes and secured in place.
The top rail must be no less than 950mm high and the intermediate handrail must be placed so no gap is greater than 470mm from any other rail, top or bottom.
Further rails are to be fitted if work on the deck or slab edge increases above the height of 950mm
Tube and fitting scaffold may be used to infill gaps between columns and Combisafe panels. All such handrails must comply with the requirement for a 950mm top rail and the 470mm intermediate rail, and toe boards are to be fitted.
All operators of MEWP’s must be trained in their use and the use of a work restraint system. All users wear and use a fall restraint system so as to limit them from working or falling outside of the protective cage. Fall arrest equipment such as inertia reels and shock absorbing lanyards are not acceptable when using MEWP’s. Users of this equipment must not at any time climb or work outside of the protective cage.
All working platforms, access and platform scaffolds, edge protection systems and ladders must be inspected by a competent person as follows;
Prior to use for the first time
Following any adaption
Following any repair
Following relocation
Following high winds or bad weather
At intervals not exceeding seven days
Inspections of Ladders, Step ladders, Podium Hop-ups and Mobile towers are to be inspected using the Mobile Tower, Podium hop-up towers and Ladder inspection register CCL HSF 804.
Records of all other inspections must be entered into the CDM Register HSF 804. In the case of a purpose built scaffold, a handover certificate must be obtained from the installer prior to use.
All work restraint or fall arrest equipment will only be used until such time that edge protection can be installed. It is a requirement of The Company that only trained operatives use this equipment and that only the minimum amount of operatives will be permitted to use the equipment thus reducing the risk and controlling the use. When selecting the use of Height Safety Equipment, work restraint must always take precedence over fall arrest as work restraint prevents the fall and fall arrest allows the fall but reduces the consequences.
This equipment works from a fixed horizontal line anchored via wire strops around a secure anchorage point. This allows the user to attach a work line with and adjustable rope grabbing device to a lanyard attached to a full body harness. The user adjusts his working line so that he can work up to the open edge, but not past it. His working line is attached to the horizontal line via a pulley. This allows the user to work perpendicular to the horizontal line at all times, thus eliminating the pendulum effect in a fall situation. Thus, the equipment’s correct use by trained personnel will eliminate any fall situation.
Fall arrest equipment will consist of a steel cabled inertia reel that will lock in a stop position if the operative moves forward suddenly. It will be attached to a fixed anchorage point that conforms to BS EN 795. Under no circumstances must an inertia block be attached to a horizontal line. In a fall situation, resistance will be created by the horizontal line and cause the inertia block to release. It can still be used in situations where the anchorage point is above the user’s head, such as stair installation works. In this situation works can only be carried out up to 1m either side of the perpendicular angle. If works further than 1m need either side of the perpendicular are to be carried out, then two inertia reels must be used so as to eliminate the pendulum effect.
Whilst an operative is working on a leading edge and there is a risk of the operatives’ tools falling down onto operatives below, it is good practice to have operative’s tools tethered to his tool belt. This could include hammers, wire knipps, spanners and power tools. Works where this needs to be completed include:
Erecting or striking falsework on the perimeter of the building.
Installing or striking Cantideck platforms.
Jumping lift/stair cores.
Installing, striking or adapting Combisafe edge protection.
However, exclusion zones of the workplace directly below working at height are mandatory
Where works are completed at height and there is a risk or either tools or materials falling from height, exclusion zones must be established to prevent third parties being struck. Works where exclusion zones will be required are:
Erecting or striking of falsework on a buildings perimeter.
Installed, striking or adapting Combisafe edge protection.
Installing and removing Cantideck platforms.
Installing, jumping or striking jump falsework for lift/stair cores.
Areas directly below, regardless if it is only 1 floor or multiple floors, must be excluded with physical barriers. Warning signage needs to be displayed to ensure third parties are aware of the overhead risk. The barriers must be arranged to prevent accidental third party access. Where, for whatever reason this is not possible, a watchman must be placed to control third party operatives. Tethering of tools can also be completed where exclusion zones are not possible.
Inertia Blocks - Formal inspection every six months and a pre use check by the user
Full Body Harness – Formal Inspection every six months and a pre use check by the user.
Fall Restraint Equipment – Formal Inspection every three months and a pre use check by the user
When constructing high rise structures, The Company will have on site a rescue cage that can be operated by the tower crane. Specific rescue procedures will be assessed and implemented by the Site Management Team (see site specific method statement for working at height). It is important to note that the emergency services cannot be relied upon to carry out a rapid rescue from suspension. See also AP 07 Emergency Procedures.
When planning or carrying out any work at height, the weather conditions must be considered. High winds, torrential rain and freezing conditions causing slippery surfaces will all add to the already hazardous environment.
The key to an accident free environment when working at height is to prevent all falls no matter how small. The correct planning and sequencing of the works will drastically reduce the amount of work at height by individuals adopting inadequate systems to complete the works.
Fall prevention by collective means must always take precedence over fall arrest and individual PPE systems.
All work at height can be carried out safely, a sufficient assessment of the work to be carried out will ensure that the hierarchy of controls are followed and a safe system of work has been planned and will be executed.
The equipment provided by the Company, if used correctly as per the training given and in conjunction with the agreed safe system of work will be prevent falls, however, if one of these components is ignored, a fall will undoubtedly occur!
