Guard Rail

Permanent / Temporary / Collective

In-line with the previously stated hierarchy of risk assessment the first protection measures to be considered should be of a preventative nature. If the fall hazard cannot be prevented by guarding against it, or if this is not possible or deemed to be feasible, then personal protective equipment systems must be selected and used, be it for restraint, work positing or fall arrest purposes.

Guard Rails, Toe Boards & Scaffold

Guard rails, toe boards or other similar means of protection should be provided where practicable, where ever there is a risk of falling from any work place. They can be made from any material, so long as they are sufficient strength and rigidity to prevent people or objects from falling and are capable of supporting other loads that may be placed upon them. They must be fixed to a structure or part of a structure that is capable of supporting their weight. Scaffold shall not be altered in any way unless carried out by a competent scaffold, inspected and authorised for use. Always inspect the scaffold tag to ensure scaffold is safe to use.

MEWP's (Mobile Elevated Working Platform's)

MEWP's can be used as an alternative to Scaffold or ladders for short duration work. Only competent trained personnel can use and operate MEWPs, all personal working inside the cradle of a Cherry Picker must use personal measures to prevent a fall, this consists of a harness and fixed length lanyard, fall arrest equipment must not be use in association with Cherry pickers. Scissor lifts are a more stable platform therefore personal measures are not required but this is down to the
discretion of the site management.

When using a MEWP ensure that:

• The work platform is provided with guard rails and toe boards or other suitable barriers.
• It is positioned on firm level ground.
• The tyres are sufficiently inflated.
• All out riggers are extended and choked as necessary prior to raising the platform.
• Everyone is aware of the emergency procedures to be followed if the machine fails in
  the extended position.
• The area of operation is demarcated to prevent people being struck by the machine or
  by falling objects.

Do Not:

• Operate MEWP's near overhead cables or other machinery. (Risk Assessment)
• Allow the arm to protrude into traffic rout when working near vehicles.
• Move the equipment with the platform in the raised position unless the equipment is designed
  for this purpose.
• Operate in adverse weather conditions.

Rope Access

Only Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) qualified and trained personal shall work using this method.

• The IRATA rope access worker works from two ropes - a working rope and a back-up, safety rope - and is permanently attached to both
• Each rope has a separate anchorage point
• In the unlikely event of the working rope becoming damaged or unusable, the safety rope
  prevents a fall
• To prevent accidental dropping all tools of a suitable weight are attached to the technician at all times; heavier items are independently suspended.
• A minimum of two technicians are required for any job so as to enable mutual surveillance - an extra safety feature
• All IRATA technicians receive extensive training and independent assessment and are required to undergo re-training every three years
• Training includes rescue procedures even though IRATA has an unrivalled record of safe working
• All equipment is regularly inspected and well maintained
• All IRATA training and operational work is conducted in line with Association Guidelines, wherever in the world it is conducted
• These Guidelines have been endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive

Safety Harnesses & Intermediate Attachments

Full body harness is to be used for fall arrest and restraint purposes this has to conform to EN 361: 1992. Considerations to be made when selecting the harness;

• Is it suitable for the weight of the user?
• Inspection of the harness.
• Is the harness in date?
• Has the user been sufficiently trained in the correct use and fitting of the harness?
• Is the harness suitable for the intermediate attachment being used? i.e. Fall arrest, Work positioning, Restraint or rope access.

Restraint

The definition of restraint: a system whereby a person is prevented by means of personal protective equipment from reaching zone as where the risk of a fall from height exists. Restraint equipment is in place to eliminate a fall completely, therefore is the length of the restraint suitable? Another consideration is down to the type of material and its suitability for the work environment. There are two different types of restraint, fixed and adjustable.

Fall Arrest

This equipment will allow a fall to occur but will arrest that fall at some point, different types of fall arrest give different fall factors (Fig 1), so selection of the correct, suitable fall arrest equipment is paramount. Fall arrest equipment includes shock absorbing lanyards and fall arrest blocks (Inertia Reels). When selecting personal equipment turn to the hierarchy of control and risk assessments.

Anchorage

In an ideal world, a certified anchor point would be available for every job but unfortunately this is rare. Therefore anchorage is placed into two classifications:

Temporary Anchorage

For the use of Fall Arrest / Adjustable Restraint the anchorage needs to hold 10kN Dynamic or 1 ton Static load no testing is required but must be identified by a competent person. For Fixed Length the anchorage needs to hold 3 times your body weight a min of 300kg (e.g. MEWP's)

Permanent Anchorage

This anchorage needs to conform to EN795 and is re tested institute every 12 months. (IRATA/ Rope access requires every 6 months)