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Height Safety at Work

The causes of injury associated with working from heights include falling or objects being dropped from heights. The overriding objectives for safe working practices are to prevent any such occurrence from happening and to mitigate the consequences should an accident occur. Unfortunately, falls were recorded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to be the leading cause of construction site fatalities in the U.S., with an average of 362 fatal falls occurring each year between 1995 and 1999.

  1. Can Working at Height be Avoided?

    • Wherever possible, working at height should be avoided. If items can be lowered to ground level to facilitate maintenance, they should be. This avoids the associated risks of working at heights, but it is not always practical.

    Preventing Falls

    • Where it is not reasonably practical to avoid working at height, assess the risks and take measures to prevent objects, as well as people, from falling. This might include working a safe distance away from any frequently occupied areas or choosing the right work equipment to prevent falls, such as using scaffolding rather than a ladder or providing guard rails.

    Mitigate the Consequences of a Fall

    • Where the risk of people or objects falling cannot be avoided or prevented, take steps to minimize the distance and consequences of such falls. This involves the selection and use of appropriate work equipment (such as fall arrest devices) and cordoning off the working area to prevent people not involved with the work from entering.

    Inspecting for Hazards

    • Hazards should be recognized and acted upon before any accidents occur. The major causes of fall-related injuries include: unprotected sides; wall openings or floor holes; protruding steel reinforcing bars on construction sites; improper scaffold construction; and the misuse of portable ladders. Inspect the work area visually for possible hazards, and take action to avoid or mitigate accidents. If work is going to continue over a long period of time, create a schedule for site assessment to ensure the area is regularly checked for hazards, and make note of what actions were taken.

    Prevention and Protection Systems

    • Height safety equipment is generally split into two types: prevention systems and protection systems. Prevention equipment includes guardrails and covers for holes; protection systems involve the use of fall arrest devices and safety nets. OSHA suggests that prevention systems should be used wherever possible, as they are a safer and more proactive option.

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