5 Practical Safety Tips for Working at Heights

Working at height includes any work where a person could fall from one level to another and be injured. This may include work from ladders, roofs, scaffolds, temporary platforms, elevated structures, floor openings and other fall-risk positions.

For construction work, Construction Regulation 10 requires a contractor to designate a competent person to prepare a Fall Protection Plan where employees work from a fall-risk position. The contractor must ensure that the plan is implemented, maintained and amended when necessary.

A suitable Fall Protection Plan should address, among other things:

1. A risk assessment of work carried out from fall-risk positions and the procedures and methods used to control the identified risks.
2. The process for evaluating employees’ medical fitness for work at height.
3. A training programme for employees working from fall-risk positions.
4. Procedures for inspecting, testing and maintaining fall-protection equipment.
5. A rescue plan and procedure for employees who may need to be recovered after a fall or other emergency at height.

For a more detailed explanation, read our guide: What Is a Fall Protection Plan? Construction Regulation 10 Explained.

Tip 1: Prevent the Fall Before Relying on Fall Arrest

Where reasonably practicable, the first objective should be to prevent a person from falling rather than relying immediately on a system that arrests a fall after it starts.

Depending on the work, this may involve guardrails, barriers, properly constructed working platforms, covers over openings, restraint systems or other forms of collective fall prevention.

A harness does not automatically make work at height safe. If the task can be carried out using a system that prevents access to the fall hazard altogether, that option should be considered before specifying fall arrest.

For a detailed comparison, see Fall Prevention vs Fall Arrest: Understanding the Difference.

Tip 2: Use the Correct Fall-Protection Equipment for the Task

Fall-protection equipment must be selected as a complete system, not as individual items in isolation. The harness, connector, lanyard or self-retracting device, anchor system and work method must all be compatible with one another and appropriate for the actual fall risk.

Where a personal fall-arrest system is used, suitable anchor points must be identified and the system must be configured so that the worker can move safely without creating unnecessary free-fall distance or swing-fall hazards.

SAQA Unit Standard 229998 includes selecting suitable anchor points and working with double-lanyard systems as part of fall-arrest competence. It also requires learners to understand safe loads, compatibility and minimum free space.

Where specialist anchor selection is required, see our guide to Anchor Point Training in South Africa.

Tip 3: Choose the Right Access Equipment

A ladder, scaffold, mobile elevated work platform, temporary suspended platform or other access system is not automatically suitable simply because it reaches the work area.

The correct equipment should be selected after considering:

• the duration of the task;
• the working height;
• the number of people involved;
• the tools and materials required;
• the condition of the ground or supporting structure;
• the need for edge protection;
• the frequency of movement; and
• the rescue arrangements if something goes wrong.

The work method and equipment choice should flow from the risk assessment rather than from convenience alone.

Tip 4: Calculate Fall Clearance — Do Not Use a Fixed Rule of Thumb

One of the most dangerous mistakes in fall arrest is assuming that a single clearance figure applies to every system.

The required fall clearance depends on several factors, including:

• the length and type of connecting device;
• possible energy-absorber deployment;
• the position of the anchor point;
• free-fall distance;
• harness stretch and system movement;
• the height of the worker;
• the manufacturer’s required safety margin; and
• any lower level, structure or obstruction beneath the worker.

This means statements such as “a 1.75 m lanyard always requires 6 m of clearance” should not be treated as a universal rule. The actual clearance must be determined for the specific equipment and configuration being used.

Where clearance is limited, a different work method, higher anchor position, shorter connecting device, self-retracting device or fall-prevention system may be necessary.

Tip 5: Match Training to the Work and the Fall Protection Plan

Employees should not simply be sent on a generic “working at heights” course and then assumed to be competent for every fall-risk activity.

The training requirement should match the employee’s role and the system identified in the Fall Protection Plan. Depending on the work, this may include:

• Fall Prevention training;
• Fall Arrest training;
• Fall Arrest Rescue training;
• Fall Protection Planner training;
• ladder training; or
• specialist anchor point or anchor-line competency.

Altra Medical provides Work at Heights Training for employees, supervisors, rescuers and Fall Protection Planners.

Working at Heights Safely Requires Planning

Safe work at height depends on more than issuing harnesses. The contractor or employer needs to identify the fall risks, select suitable controls, appoint competent people, train employees, inspect equipment and make sure realistic rescue arrangements are in place.

For contractors, these duties also need to fit into the wider construction health and safety system. See our Construction Regulations for Contractors page for an overview of health and safety plans, safety files, legal appointments, risk assessments and contractor responsibilities.

Need Help With Work-at-Height Compliance?

Altra Medical can assist with Work at Heights training, Fall Protection Planner training and practical fall-protection compliance support.

Call 086 111 1504 or visit our Work at Heights Training page to discuss the correct training for your team.