Health and safety are important in any workplace, and working at height is far from an exception. The HSE defines working at height as ‘work in any place where, without precautions, a person might fall a distance liable to cause personal injury’. Therefore, work at height is undeniably risky. However, with our essential steps, you can ensure your work at height task is as safe and compliant as possible.
In this guide, we’ll cover what the health and safety requirements for work at height are, how to follow these regulations to a tee to keep your workers as safe as possible, as well as how access platform hire can make health and safety compliance easier to achieve.
What Are the Work at Height Health and Safety Requirements?
The health and safety requirements for work at height are laid out in the Work at Height Regulations (2005), which outline the responsibilities of employers, employees, contractors and building owners. We recommend studying these regulations in full for a thorough understanding of them to ensure you are fully compliant. As a surface-level overview, these regulations require you to:
- Properly plan and organise all work at height
- Ensure those involved in work at height are competent
- Assess the risks, then select and use the right equipment accordingly
- Properly inspect and maintain all work at height equipment used
How Can I Ensure My Workers are Competent to Work at Height?
The simplest and most straightforward way to be assured of your worker’s competence at height is through training and licencing.
The level and type of training required, however, depends on the job type and equipment used. For example, working at a lower height using a ladder may only require an online working at height course or simple on-the-job training. However, when using more complex work-at-height equipment such as a powered access platform, a full training course and assessment to achieve a powered access licence (PAL card) will be needed, while a CSCS card is recommended for work with scaffolding.
At Horizon Platforms, we offer training courses accredited by IPAF and PASMA for the safe use of access platforms and mobile access towers, and even offer a course combining both so that you can be sure of your worker’s competence with MEWPs, such as scissor lifts and cherry pickers. Furthermore, our MEWPs for Managers course allows you to receive training yourself in order to effectively and competently plan work at height in accordance with MEWP health and safety regulations.
In addition to training your workers, you must also ensure their training is up to date for full competency. In the case of IPAF training, this means renewal every five years. Speak with our team to book in one or several team members for their IPAF renewal.
How to Assess Risks for Work at Height
Carrying out a risk assessment allows you to identify the hazards of working at height and find solutions to reduce the risks associated with them. This can include nearby fragile surfaces, weather conditions such as wind, or the ground conditions of your worksite.
If you’ll be working at height with access platforms, our list of common MEWP risks can help you.
What Equipment Should I Use for My Work at Height?
Protective equipment for work at height falls under two categories: CPE and PPE.
CPE stands for Collective Protective Equipment: equipment that protects multiple workers during a work-at-height task. This includes fixed guardrails, scaffolding and, of course, access platforms such as personnel lifts or booms.
MEWPs are effective forms of CPE as they remove the need for climbing, they can transport materials for the worker rather than the worker needing to carry them, and they are fitted with sturdy guardrails to prevent falls. Our guide to understanding MEWPs elaborates on the benefits of access platform use further.
PPE is Personal Protective Equipment, and these are items that protect an individual who is working at height. This includes fall arrest equipment, such as harnesses and lanyards, as well as equipment designed to reduce harm.
How Do I Inspect and Maintain My Work at Height Equipment?
The regularity of your work at height equipment inspections depends on the equipment you are working with.
In the case of PPE, daily inspections are recommended, while more thorough inspections should be given every six months in accordance with BS EN 365:2004 and BS 8437:2005.
With CPE, the frequency of inspections can differ. For example, HSE recommends that scaffolding be inspected every seven days. HSE MEWP guidance, on the other hand, recommends examining your access platform every six months in accordance with Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998, as well as performing checks before each use. This MEWP inspection should be carried out by a competent person following the checklist on the operator manual, or the official IPAF checklist. Checks should also be carried out at any point where an incident occurs that may have caused damage to the MEWP.
When hiring powered access from Horizon Platforms, every machine is delivered having had a rigorous pre-delivery inspection (PDI). This involves inspecting the platform when it returns from its previous hire, a thorough 40-point inspection, and a final once-over before we send it to you. Of course, every machine has an in-date LOLER.
If you own one machine, a small fleet or a large fleet of powered access platforms, we can tailor our MEWP maintenance and breakdown cover to meet your specific needs.
See our blog on the importance of access platform maintenance to learn more. Carry out your work at height safely by hiring or buying a high-quality MEWP with Horizon Platforms and ensuring your workers have all the required training. To learn more about access platforms as well as health and safety when working at height, see our blog.