What is working at Height ?
Working at height definitions:
Working at a height is a task or work in such a place. Which is work above or below the surface of the ground from where a fall can cause injury to a person. Arriving at workplace and coming back also comes under working at Height work.
Things to note: Falling on the same level is not called working at a height. Rather, there is a danger of the person falling below one level. Even going up or down the permanent ladder is not called the job of working at a height.
(ऊंचाई पर काम करना एक ऐसा काम या ऐसे स्थान पर काम करना होता है। जो जमीन के सतह से ऊपर या नीचे का काम होता है जहा से गिरजाने से इंसान को चोट पहुंच सकता है। कार्य स्थल पर पहुंचना और वापस आना भी उचाई पे काम करने के अंतर्गत आता है। )
ध्यान देने योग्य बातें : एक ही लेवल पर गिर जाने को उचाई पर काम करना नहीं कहते है। बल्कि इसमें व्यक्ति एक लेवल से नीचे के लेवल पैर गिरने का खतरा होता है। परमानेंट सीढ़ी से ऊपर या निचे जाने को भी उचाई पर काम करना का जॉब नहीं कहता है।
“Working at a height by SHE means work where there is no protection and a person falling from there can injure him due to gap in the surface.”
“SHE के द्वारा उचाई पर काम करना मतलब ऐसा काम जहां पर कोई सुरक्षा नहीं है तथा इंसान वहा से गिरने से सतह में अंतर से उसको चोट पहुंच सकती है। “
Employees skills before working at height :
- Should be Complete job training for work at height.
- Awareness of the risks, hazards & its control measures involved in work at height.
- Knowing and following factory rules about working at height.
Here you will learn how to successfully deal with the risks involved in high altitude work. And analyze the risk involved in it and use the safety equipment associated with it.
Seven Hierarchy of Control Measures / Safety precautions In Working At Heights :
- Completely ignore working at height. As far as possible, do the work on the surface. (ऊंचाई पर काम करने को पूरी तरह से नजरअंदाज करे। जहाँ तक संभव हो काम को सतह पर ही करे। )
- Where it is necessary to work at a height, then choose such a safe place where there is least danger in working. (जहा ऊंचाई पर काम करना यदि जरुरी हो तो ऐसे सेफ जगह का चुनाव करे जहा काम करने में कम से कम खतरा हो।
- Establish a permanent security system such as a physical security. So that the workers can work safely and help them to focus on their work by shifting their attention away from the security system. (स्थाई सुरक्षा प्रणाली को स्थापित करे जैसे की कोई भौतिक सुरक्षा। जिससे की कामगार सुरक्षा से काम कर पाए और उनका ध्यान सुरक्षा प्रणाली से हटकर अपना काम पर मन लगाने में मदद करे।)
- As the ultimate protection, one must use safety devices like full body harness, anchor point, double lanyard, lifeline etc. PPEs to avoid falling. (अंतिम सुरक्षा के रूप में इंसान को गिरने से बचने के लिए सुरक्षा उपकरणों जैसे फुलबॉडी हार्नेस , एंकर पॉइंट , डबल लेनयार्ड , लाइफलाइन आदि PPEs का उपयोग जरूर करना चहिये।)
- Work at heights, if necessary, to reduce the impact of falls by using the necessary techniques and equipment. Such as using an airbag or safety net. (ऊंचाई पर काम करना यदि जरुरी है तो जरूरी तकनीक तथा उपकरण को प्रयोग कर के गिरने के प्रभाव को कम करना। जैसे कि Airbag या सेफ्टी नेट का उपयोग करना। )
- Use of a fall arrester while working at height. It is a device that protects a person from hitting the ground while falling from a height.(ऊंचाई पर काम करते समय fall arrester का उसे करना। यह ऐसा उपकरण है जो उचाई से गिरने के समय व्यक्ति को जमीन से टकराने से बचाता है।
- Reducing the risk of working at height by providing knowledge and proper training. (ऊंचाई पर काम के रिस्क को उसके बारे में जानकारी तथा उचित प्रशिछण देकर कम करना।)
Common working at height hazards & Risk assessments:
- No edge protection.
- Openings are unguarded
- Items not stored properly.
- Working without guardrails
- Poor weather conditions.
- Electrocutions due to no isolation
- Unstable ladder conditions
- Outside animal hazard like honeybee, Birds, Monkey.
- Improper anchoring point.
- Not using required safety equipment like full body harness, Safety lanyard’s, Lifeline, Safety net.
- Using tools without proper tie.
- Area barricading not done properly
- Sloping roof surfaces.
- Fragile roof.
- More fall distance.
- Pendulum hit not covered.
- Improper illumination.
- Fitness of Scaffolding.
- Poor Health of PPEs.
- Entry and exit not define properly.
- PPEs not wearing properly.
- Overloading of scaffolding.
- No protection to avoid object falling.
- rescue plan not prepared.
- lack of work awareness/ Training
- Insufficient approach of work.
- Poor work supervision.
Working at height do and don’t :
WORKING AT HEIGHTS DO’S
- DO maximum work as you can on the ground (avoid work at height)
- DO always sure persons move safely, safe entry/exit during working at height.
- DO sure equipment’s, persons, floor and PPEs are healthy, inspected which are use for work at Height.
- DO always alerts for roof like open edges, unprotected slops and fragile surface.
- DO sure all objects and tools are protected from falling.
- DO always insure for taking proper PTW before starting the jobs.
- DO sure all hazards are identified and communicated during tool box talk meeting.
- Do sure rescue and emergency plans are ready and in place.
- Do sure taking controls of all identified hazards.
- Do sure work is performing under supervision.
WORKING AT HEIGHTS – DON’TS
- DON’T overload the scaffolding or ladders with objects or persons.
- DON’T try for reaching over approaching distance during work at height.
- DON’T use ladder for long time job stay at ladders.
- DON’T allow untrained workmen’s to do job at work at heights
- DON’T place ladder/ make scaffolding on unstable surface, fragile roofs.
- DON’T allow to job when you feel job is unsafe at any time.
- DON’T start the job on uncompleted scaffolding.
- DON’T allow to do the work at height job without safety net/ fall arresters if movement is not able to restricted.
Work at Height job causes of death from falls:
Working at height injury statistics/ Falls from height in construction statistics:
- 31% Death in fall from roof.
- 24% Death in fall from ladder.
- 15% Death in fall from scaffolding.
- 7% Death in fall from non moving vehicles.
- 5% Death in the ground from fall of object.
What types of PPEs are required in Work at Height job?
Working at height Safety equipment lists:
Fall protective PPEs:
Whenever we talk about PPEs, it includes such personal protective equipment as safety shoes, safety helmet, hand gloves, safety goggles, reflecting jacket etc. But these PPEs do not help to avoid falling from height.
To avoid falling while working in height, some main PPEs are required, which provide protection in falling from height, it is called Fall Protective Equipment.
(जब भी PPEs के बारे में हम बात करते है तो इसके अन्तगर्त safety shoes , सेफ्टी हेलमेट , हैण्ड ग्लोव्स , सेफ्टी गूगल्स , रेफ्लेक्टिंग जैकेट इत्यादि ऐसे पर्सोनेल प्रोटेक्टिव इक्विपमेंट्स आते है। लेकिन इन PPEs से ऊंचाई से गिरने से बचने में सहायता नहीं मिलती है।
ऊंचाई में काम करते समय गिरने से बचने के लिए कुछ मुख्य PPEs की जरुरत पड़ती है जो की हमे ऊंचाई से गिरने में सुरक्षा प्रदान करता है उसे फॉल प्रोटेक्टिव इक्विपमेंट कहते है।)
Main Fall Protective PPEs, tools and equipment’s are as follows:
- Full body harness with double lanyard.
- Lifelines
- Fall arrester
- Safety net
- Roof top crawling ladder.
- Scaffolding.
- Ladders.
- Rope access systems
- Temporary anchor points
- Man lifter
Also read: Basic knowledge of Scaffolding and Its Hazards
Test your knowledge: Safety Quiz! on Work at Height