Working at Height

From use of simple stepladders to safety harnesses, there is an imminent risk of a fall which may cause personal injury while performing work at height. Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries.

Common cases include falls from ladders and through fragile surfaces. All these accidents would have been preventable, and everything possible needs to be done to ensure that this type of accident does not continue occurring.

Work at height means working in a place (except a staircase in a permanent workplace) where a person could be injured by falling from it, even if it is at or below ground level.

By the end of theory module participants would be familiar with:

• Roles and responsibilities of the employer, constructor (if applicable), supplier, supervisor and worker, with respect to working safely at heights;
• Hazards of working at heights;
• Hierarchy of controls (such as elimination, isolation, engineering, substitution, administrative or PPE), related to working at heights;
• Types of warning methods (signs and bump lines) and physical barriers (fencing, guard rails, protective coverings) and their appropriate use;
• Use of Ladders and other Elevated Work Platforms;
• Use of PPE and when a travel restraint system, fall restricting system or fall arrest system would be required and the essential components of each.