Working safely at height is a matter…
The speed of a person with a mass of 80Kg falling from approximately 5m due to uncontrollable fall is 35 km/hour and the impact force is approximately 40kN (4,000Kg).
While working at heights, necessary precautions must be taken to prevent ourselves and the people we work with from falling. The less the fall distance is, the less damage occurs after the accident.
As I mentioned above, work should be executed in a way that prevents people from falling. In addition, it is imperative that the equipment we work with and the materials we use or assemble have precautions against falling (a closed and secured bag and all equipment must be secured against falling) in order to work safely at heights.
It is absolutely necessary to avoid initiating a job without planning, without taking the necessary precautions against possible risks, and without sufficient knowledge and competence of the personnel, regardless of the type of the work to be done.
Safety projects should be designed by experts in all work areas where falls may occur, and safety must be ensured by correct installation in accordance with the project.
The purposes of safe working solutions at height (lifelines, anchorage solutions, collective protection solutions, etc.) are; to prevent the possibility of falling by restricting (work restraint) before the fall occurs, and to stop the person falling as soon as possible after the instance of falling occurs (fall arrest).
If the project is prepared in the most faultless way, a safe working environment to prevent falls and minimise damage will be established.
After a safe working system at height is established, all users must be trained on the correct use of the installed system. People who are not trained should be averted from working in the system.
Working safely at height is a matter of culture and habit, so the system as a whole must be established.
We get support from various equipments and tools when working safely at height, such as; basket elevators, exterior elevators, columned platforms, lifelines, handrails, covers, PPE, retractable fall arresters, restraint equipment, ladders and safety nets. Every system must be used correctly, inspected, controlled and be trained on.
No matter what kind of work we do, it is compulsory to inquire which tools to be used and which method we can work with in the healthiest and safest way, and then start working.
Stop, Think, Act!
Kind regards,
Selcuk Demir
AvrasyaSafetyUK
