What is Working at Height?

Video 2 of 13
1 min 56 sec
English
English

So, what is working at height? Well, it is defined as any place a person could be injured falling from it. What about below ground level? What about a jockey riding a horse? Is that working at height? Working at height on a roof or scaffolding, certainly working from any mobile elevated working platform, working at ladders or step ladders, working at ground level by an open excavation, working near or adjacent to fragile materials. Even unloading from the back of an HGV. But what is not working at height? Well it is anything that is carried out by private individuals. Walking up and down a staircase, working upper floors on an office block, sitting in a seat on an excavator, riding an animal, even flying an aircraft.

So, what do we need to do then? It says that every employer shall ensure that working at height is properly planned, and properly supervised, carried out in a safe manner, super work equipment is selected and used and planned to consider emergency procedures and weather conditions. So, what do we need to do now? Let us consider the employees' duties. It clearly states avoid working at height if possible. That may not be the case. We may need to work at height, in which case prevent falling by using an existing place of work or equipment. And then we try to mitigate any falls by using work equipment, methods to minimise the distance and the consequence. And of course, we need to provide instruction, training, and even supervision.