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Wednesday, 07 January 2009

Chat to others in the construction industry


Working At Height Awarness Campaign November 2008 >>Working at height basics :
What causes the problems of falling?	The HSE proposes 3 simples measures.
Faulty equipment if often said to be the cause but experience shows that most accidents are caused by poor managment control. These include: Not realising the problem is present before it results in an accident. Not providing safe systems of work and supervising these systems and the people using them / working them. Not providing the training needed. Not using the right equipment for the job.	If possible, organise the work to avoid the need to work at height If working at height cannot be avoided, Implement measures to prevent falls. If falls cannot be prevented, employ equipment and measures to minimise the height and the consequences of a fall, should it happen.



Employers responsibilities	Employees’ Responsibilities
As with all health and safety, when working at height, safety begins with the employer, who is expected to do all that is reasonably practicable to avoid accidents and minimise the adverse consequences of any accidents that do occur. This requirement implies that Risk Assessments have been carried out in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. Doing what is reasonably practicable includes such actions as: Planning the work properly Taking account of prevailing conditions such as poor weather. Providing a safe place to work, which includes taking additional precautions where there are fragile surfaces to contend with. Ensuring employees are properly trained and are competent to carry out the work safely Conducting adequate inspections of workplaces, equipment, means of access, etc Eliminating any risk of injuries as a result of falling objects In addition, the employer should maintain adequate records of risk assessments, inspections, precautions that have been put in place and, of course, any accidents or incidents that occur in spite of everyone’s best efforts. There’s a range of schedules attached to the regulations that provide guidance on the requirements that apply to each aspect of working at height such as fall prevention, working platforms and use of ladders. In some cases, employers may be able to apply for exemptions to aspects of the regulations if it can be shown that strict adherence would prevent the work from being done or might result in other types of risk. However, if such exemptions are granted, it will only be on the basis that additional precautions have been implemented that are sufficient to compensate for the exemption.	Not all the responsibilities lie with the employer. Employees must also take care of their own health and safety and that of their colleagues. In particular, every employee must, by law, report any health and safety hazards that they identify in regard to working at height. Merely ignoring a hazard and “hoping for the best” is not an option. Employees must also make proper use of all equipment that is provided for their safety. Finally employees must follow the training and instruction they have received unless the circumstances would render it unsafe to do so. When this appears to be the case, the employee must report the fact and seek further instruction before continuing with the work. As with all health and safety, Working at height, Safety begins with the employer.

	The wrong way!
		This image shows a man fixing an air conditioning unit using the ~~safe~~ unsafe method. (I wonder if he did a risk assessment for this)
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