Working at Height

Working at height can be incredibly dangerous for both the person working and anyone below, no matter what access equipment is being used.

From the risk of falling debris from scaffolding, to the risk of persons falling from scaffolding, ladders and other height platforms, precautions and planning need to be in place. Working from height remains one of the greatest risks to safety and health on sites.

The correct equipment must be used for the job, and you must ensure the equipment is safe to use and has been checked over between every use, especially if there is bad weather.

Preventing a Fall

The first step to preventing a fall when you’re working at height is to complete a risk assessment. Look at your working conditions, how long you are going to be working at height for, how often you’ll be working, and any associated risks with erecting or dismantling equipment.

If you’re frequently going to be working at height, and know in advance that your working surfaces could be affected by rain, consider using the lowest level access equipment possible. Low level access provides a safer alternative to ladders and is a more efficient option than access towers to increase productivity on-site. They can also be used in narrow spaces where access towers are impractical.

Minimise Your Risk

If prevention methods are unavailable to you for any reason, then you still want to minimise your risk as much as possible

For example, if you are working with ladders, the feet could easily slip. Your risk isn’t minimised by low height either – 60% of major injuries are from falls below head height! Make sure you have anti-slip equipment to keep your ladders firmly on the ground if you’re working with potentially slippery floors.

Whether or not you’re working with ladders, low level access or towers, do everything you can to prevent the occurrence of a slip or fall. Attach guard rails and toe boards, use fall prevention or safety decking systems.

Use the Equipment Correctly

Once you have assessed all risks and looked at the correct equipment to either prevent or minimise your risk of falling when working at height, you need to make sure you can use the equipment correctly.

• Ensure that the person using the equipment is trained and competent to do so
• When hiring equipment ensure you get proper hand-over instructions
• Consider ground and weather conditions and always follow manufacturer’s operating instructions
• If in doubt, ask for advice and/or training. Speedy supplies a wide range of training for access equipment which can be seen by clicking here

Hiring Access & Height Equipment

When you hire access and working at height equipment from Speedy Services, it will have been checked for safety and usability before being hired. You will also get all of the parts you need for your job, so it makes sense to hire.