Work safely at heights
Overview
This standard for those who working at heights and includes assessing the risks involved, taking all suitable precautions and following the correct procedures. This standard applies to individuals who work at heights, including those working for example, on containers, gantries, ladders or similar structures from where there is a danger of falling. Maintaining health and safety is of paramount importance at all times when working at heights. “Work at height” means work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
undertake the work according to an agreed plan
- assess correctly the risks associated with the task to be undertaken,
taking into account the potential dangers of falling, of dropping tools
and debris, the stability of ladders, the working area, any overhead
cables and equipment, and other people in the vicinity
- carry out all work in line with the risk assessment and control
measures
- wear suitable personal protection equipment (PPE) correctly,
including, where relevant, a full body harness, ensuring that these are
in good condition and functioning properly
ensure that safety barriers are in place around the working area
obtain a permit to work, where required, before working at heights
and close it out once work is complete
use protection equipment properly
undertake all required pre-use checks, including checking safe
access and egress, fragile surfaces, emergency evacuation and rescue
and ensuring that height access equipment is free from obvious
defects before use
- confirm that height access equipment is deployed and secured
before operations and used correctly
maintain frequent communication with an identified colleague
leave work areas clean, tidy and free of obstructions
use and store all height access and personal protective equipment
correctly
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
your own individual responsibility relating to maintaining safe working practices and
procedures when working at heights
- the risks associated with working at heights, including when
carrying or handling objects, and how to control these risks
- the precautions appropriate to minimising risks associated with
working at heights
- the requirements for the safe use of ladders
Organisational specific knowledge and understanding
- your organisations policies and procedures
for preparing for, and working at heights
- your organisations procedures for using and
storing height access and personal protective equipment (PPE)
- how to operate your organisations fall
protection equipment
- your organisations emergency evacuation and rescue procedure