Choosing the right access for work at height
Plenty of jobs need someone to reach a roof, a ceiling, a sign or a gutter. Getting up there well starts with picking the right way up.
These notes follow the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on working at height. They are for contractors, facilities managers and building owners planning that kind of work.
Start from the ground
HSE's first step is to do as much of the work as possible from the ground. Extendable tools, fitting cables at ground level, or lowering a lighting mast can all remove the need to climb.
Where work at height cannot be avoided, the next step is to use a place that is already safe, or the right equipment. Only after that come measures that limit how far someone could fall.
HSE asks people to weigh up the height of the task, how long it lasts, how often it happens and the surface being worked on. Simple, low-risk jobs need less planning.
Protection that works for everyone
The law favours protection that keeps everyone safe without anyone having to act. Guardrails, scissor lifts and tower scaffolds work this way.
A harness is personal protection. It only works when the wearer puts it on correctly and clips it to a suitable anchor point. That is why it comes after collective measures, not before them.
Mobile elevating work platforms
A mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), such as a scissor lift, gives a guarded platform at the height of the job. HSE says the most important choice is the right MEWP for the job and the site.
It should be used on firm, level ground, with outriggers extended before the platform goes up. Operators should hold a recognised training card listing the types of MEWP they can use. They also need familiarisation on the exact make and model.
A MEWP must have a thorough examination at least every six months by a competent person, or under a written examination scheme.
Tower scaffolds
A tower scaffold gives a guarded platform that can be moved around a site. It should be put up and taken down by trained people, following the manufacturer's manual.
HSE describes two safe ways to build a tower. One uses advance guardrails. The other has the builder working from the trap door, so they never stand on an unguarded platform.
For construction work where someone could fall 2 metres or more, a tower is inspected after assembly and then every 7 days. The result is recorded.
Ladders and stepladders
Ladders are not banned. HSE says they suit low-risk, short jobs. As a guide, if a task would keep someone up a leaning ladder or stepladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, other equipment is worth considering.
Before the work starts
Check the weather, and check each place of work at height every time before it is used. Keep tools and materials from falling, or keep people out of the area below.
Plan how someone would be rescued, and practise it. With a MEWP, someone on the ground should know how to use the ground controls. Look out for overhead power lines, steelwork and tree branches before any platform goes up.