One of the most dangerous jobs all over the world is those that need you to work at heights. Even if you work at high altitudes rarely, it can take anything from a simple slip of your leg to losing control over the equipment to cause serious injury.
In Australia, about 29 people die from height-related injuries in the workplace every year! So, if your business also involves people working at heights, then here is a list of safety measures that you must ensure to avoid any mishap.
1. Use railings
Installing railings in the enclosed area is one of the easiest ways of ensuring height safety.
For example, if your workers are working on a high-rise rooftop, you can easily put up railings so they don’t lose balance.
The biggest advantage of installing railings is that it requires no extra training or fancy equipment. The only thing that your workers need to remember is to stay within the rails. Every kind of rooftop can accommodate a good iron railing; even then, different types are available in the market. You can go for either parapet mount railing or metal roof railing, depending on the nature of the job or the costs.
2.Install mobile-elevated platforms
A mobile-elevated work platform system (MEWPS) is designed for people using scissor lifts, boom lifts, or other aerial work platforms. Even though it’s relatively easy to get your workers trained in MEWPS, it can take some time to get used to. You can hire a MEWP specialist to train your workers for about a day or two.
Ask them to wear harnesses whenever they’re using the system and ensure the harness is properly fastened. The platform should be used only when the ground level is flat and smooth. If the worker using the MEWP is an amateur, ensure a trained professional nearby can help them.
3.Select a proper anchor point
Your team can wear the fanciest safety equipment in the world, but if the anchor point isn’t set properly, then it’s of no use. So, choose the right anchor point properly since it can be the line of difference between a minor injury and a major one, or even death.
For example, if you select a PVC pipe as the anchor point, it’s a really bad idea. The same goes for a strong-looking decorative steel pipe on the roof. Any good anchor point must satisfy a few criteria before it can be used. Ask an engineer to properly calculate the expected loads before choosing the right anchor point. Moreover, it must handle a load of at least 5000 pounds.
4.Inspect the scaffolding
Scaffolds should be erected well and inspected regularly by either you or another competent person. In situations where a person might fall a distance of 2 meters or more, the scaffolding needs to be inspected at least once every week.
You can conduct a risk assessment now and then to keep your workers updated. If bad weather hits the high-rise areas, it’s even more important to check the scaffolding after the weather has cleared. Additionally, the scaffolding needs to be constructed in a way that the height-to-base ratio is maintained. All the casters must be tightly shut, and there should be a strong ladder accompanying the scaffolding.
5.Know the different types of fall protection
When thinking of fall protection, you need to keep three things in mind: frequency, duration, and location. For frequency, you have to check if the tasks performed by your team are infrequent (where the work is done once a month or even less).
When it comes to duration, check whether the work is temporary (where short bursts of work are done within about 2 hours). After you have calculated the frequency and duration, it’s time to check the location where your workers are working at heights.
If the location of the work is less than 6 feet from the hazard, then fall protection is required, but if it’s greater than 15 feet, then it’s not needed.
Over to you
These are a few safety measures your business needs to ensure before anyone can start working at heights. Remember to train your team and provide them with adequate medical benefits if they injure themselves.
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