Safety officer training in India
There is a specific hierarchy of controls to be considered and observed whilst working at height or making plans to do so:
· Avoid working at height if possible.
· Use an existing safe place of work.
· Provide work equipment to prevent falls.
· Mitigate distance and consequences of a fall.
· Instruction and training and/or other means.
Fall protection covers Stages 3 and 4 of the hierarchy.
Collective versus personal.
As well as the hierarchy of control measures, the difference between collective and personal protection measures needs to be considered
Priority needs to be given to collective protection over personal protection.
Collective protection is equipment which protects more than one person and, once properly installed or erected, does not need any action to make sure it will work. Examples that prevent falls include scaffolds, tower scaffolds and cherry pickers which have guardrails and equipment to minimise the consequences of a fall, include nets and airbags.
Personal protection is equipment which protects just the user/wearer and requires action by the individual, such as proper use and adjustment, for it to work. Examples include work restraint equipment which prevents a fall, and fall arrest equipment which minimises the consequences of a fall.
Collective measures have several advantages. They are easier to use, protect all workers at risk in the area and require less effort in terms of maintenance and training. The disadvantages with personal measures include the need for a high level of training and maintenance, and by implication, they only protect the individual user.
If collective protection can be provided, it should be.
For example:
· a tower scaffold (collective fall prevention) rather than work restraint (personal fall prevention);
· airbags (collective mitigation) instead of a fall arrest system (personal mitigation);
· however, work restraint (personal fall prevention) before airbags (collective mitigation).
How can working at height be avoided?
A risk assessment for work at height should always consider if the work could be avoided in some way. This could mean changing the design of the activity, by using guardrails, doing the work from below or using a work platform inside a building to do the job from the inside, rather than try and carry it out externally.
However, in most instances, it will not be possible, for whatever reason to avoid having to do the job and control measures will have to be implemented instead.
How can falls from height be prevented?
Falls height can be prevented through the use of working platforms with guardrails, or particular access equipment, such as mobile elevated work platforms. Examples of these include scissor lifts, mast climbers and cherry pickers.
Personal protective equipment, such as a work restraint system can also prevent falls, but this form of protection is lower down the hierarchy, and should only be considered if the collective method of protection has been ruled out.
