Whether you are a homeowner who likes doing DIY projects or a professional who works at construction sites, you must be extra careful when dealing with heights. This is the most significant cause of fatal work-related accidents in the UK, accounting for around two-thirds of all fatal injuries.
Whether it’s part of your job or occasionally working at height when doing a DIY project, you should take several measures to ensure your safety. After all, it only takes a single slip to expose yourself or your employees to a fall hazard.
Assess the Risks First
The most significant risk of working at heights is, of course, falling. However, this is the last result of a combination of factors that aren’t taken care of. The fall can be caused by different elements and happens at various heights.
Before you start, consider where you are working. Are you repairing the roof, painting the ceiling, fixing gutters, or operating at a surface with minimal stability? Each type of job comes with its unique set of risks you have to deal with. Once you assess them, you can take the appropriate measures to ensure you don’t expose yourself to falls.
Use Appropriate Fall Protection Equipment
One of the most direct ways to protect yourself is by wearing protective equipment. While you will still need to take other necessary fall prevention measures, protective equipment will be your last and most important line of defense. In a fall, it will protect you from hitting the ground.
The type of equipment you need will depend on your specific job. A fall arrest harness, lanyards, anchor points, and lifelines are the most common for working at heights. A fall arrest harness, in particular, is crucial as it attaches a person to a strong point and absorbs the kinetic energy generated when a fall occurs.
To select your protective equipment, you must use the job analysis you conducted before starting. It would help if you familiarised yourself with the equipment to ensure you use it properly.
Ensure that Your Ladder is Secure
While many things can cause falls when working at heights, ladders are the biggest culprits. This is because you can easily get absorbed by your job and end up making movements that your ladder can’t support.
Before you start your work, ensure that you first select the right type. The one you’d need for redoing the ceiling is not the same as the one for climbing to the roof. But besides that, your ladder should support the height and weight you need. If it’s too short or too tall, you may not work comfortably, so you may be at risk.
Once you set it up, you should then inspect it thoroughly. It should be placed at a stable point and secured to position. Confirm that it also shows no signs of damage that can put you at risk.
Follow the Three-Point Contact Rule
You must maintain stability and balance while ascending, descending, or working to prevent slips or de-stabilizing your ladder. One of the most effective ways of doing this is following the three-point contact rule of working with a ladder. This safety procedure involves ensuring you have at least three of your four limbs in contact with the ladder or an elevated surface.
This means that when you step on a ladder, two hands and one leg should be on the ladder. When working, you need somewhere close and stable to place your equipment to avoid overreaching. If you find yourself in a position where you need to compromise the rule, ensure that you don’t make any strong movements, as this will put you at risk.
