Working at height remains one of the dangerous careers, if there were no precautions in place. Anyone in this profession should understand that a fall from any height could cause serious injuries. Working at heights causes more casualties than any other construction activity.
The vertical height of a fall is not often the determinant factor in the cause of injuries, but it is a factor that must be considered. However, it is important that any
High-Level Cleaning & Maintenance firm conducts a proper risk assessment for these height activities.
A height worker must be properly oriented that a fall at any distance is liable to cause personal injury. In order to maintain a safe working space, the safety tips below will serve as a guide when working at height.
Top 6 Safety Tips for Work at Heights
It is important to properly pre-plan every step involved in the process of a work at height task. Consider the
weather conditions that could compromise your safety and the team; plan for emergency situations and rescue; check that the place where the work at height is to be done is safe; and so on.
Do ensure regularly that you have the right equipment available to achieve your work is done safely. Ladders and stepladders can be a sensible option for tasks of low height and short duration. For cases where a ladder will not be appropriate as the access equipment, scaffolding might be used instead.
You may need to use a powered access equipment if you need to access a greater height. If it happens you don’t have the right equipment for the job, just hire then. It is better to be safe than trying to make do with something that’s not suitable for the job.
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MAKE SURE STAFF ARE WELL TRAINED AND COMPETENT
We strongly recommend that your staff have completed the relevant training before using powered access or mobile access equipment. Some recognized trainings are the IPAF or PASMA courses.
Additionally, staff should have received training on how to use ladders and other working at height equipment even if the equipment that need professional training used not used. This will also make sure their safety is in place.
A thorough inspection of your equipment is important, no matter what equipment you use. Whether it’s a simple or a technical equipment, make it a habit to always check for faults or issues before use. This helps to reduce or prevent failure at the worst possible time.
When getting ready for a working at height job, ensure that you concentrate on the surrounding environment. Make sure that the tools you’re using are fully secure and safe where they can be located. Do identify whatever risks to people who are involved in the job. Weak areas of the site should be properly determined, marked out and avoided at all cost.
Ensure that you continually supervise the situation on the site, keeping records and attending to any emerging risks. Remove any worker who looks distracted or not fully engaged with the work, to ensure safety.
It is better to replace a member of the team than to experience a disaster at the end.
