1.0 Purpose

To prevent injury and property damage when conducting work at height.

2.0 Scope

This procedure is applicable to “persons working at Height” in HSC & Sub-Contractors.

3.0 Responsibility

3.1 Functional heads / Departmental coordinator / Site Manager.

The Site must ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure that:

All work at height is properly planned and organized

All work at height takes account of weather conditions that could endanger health and safety

Those involved in work at height are trained and competent iv. The place where work at height is done is safe

Equipment for work at height is appropriately inspected daily basis

The risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled

The risks from falling objects are properly controlled

3.2 All Employees

All employees have a duty to:

Report any safety hazard to their Supervisor

Use any equipment supplied (including safety devices) properly

Follow Safety training and instructions (unless they think that would be unsafe, in which case they should seek further instructions before continuing)

4.0 Description

4.1. Definitions

4.2 Process

4.2.1 Elimination or Minimization Program for Work at Height

Minimization of work at height via:

Elimination of the need to perform work at height

By eliminating the risk of fall (i.e. implementation of fixed barrier’s, scaffolds, mobile elevated work platform etc.)

Where reasonably practical as much work as possible will be done at ground level to minimize working at height e.g. sections of steel work can be bolted together, pipes welded, radiography carried out and the items painted before being lifted into position.

4.2.2 Actions Prior to Starting Work at Height

Prior to any person working at height a risk assessment must be carried out to identify the risks and the safety measures necessary to eliminate or reduce the risk

Collective protection measures must always be considered in preference to individual protection measures

Where it is not reasonably practicable to provide a safe working platform and a person has to rely on the use of a double hook full body safety harness, life line with fall arrestor, a suitable rescue plan must be considered along with the safety measures.

A Competent Person must verify that the contents of this procedure have been implemented before the commencement of any work at height. Work may only commence with the written approval of the Competent Person.

4.2.3 Verification of Procedure Implementation

For all work of more than 1 day in duration, a systematic verification of the satisfactory implementation of this procedure must carried out by Competent Person, at a frequency appropriate the duration and risk of the task.

On completion of the work it must be formally verified by a Competent Person, that the work place has been left in a satisfactory condition and that all persons have safely returned from the workplace.

Note: Many accidents occur because floor gratings have been removed and not replaced, or superfluous materials are left in elevated positions causing slip, trip and fall hazards

4.3 General Precautions

4.3.1 Fall Prevention

The first consideration must always to provide a safe working platform.

The sides of all stairways, floors/platforms, walkways, buildings, etc., from where a person can fall and suffer injury or from where articles could fall and injure someone must be protected with double guard rails and toe boards of at least 150mm in height.

With regard to permanent structures such as stairways and platforms, as much of the permanent handrails as is reasonably practicable should be installed while the structure is at ground level. Where this is not possible then handrails/guard rails must keep place with construction.

4.3.2 Floor Openings

All openings, through which a person can fall and suffer injury, must be covered and secured using material that is sufficiently strong to support any forces that it may be subjected to. The word “Hole” or “Opening” must be printed on the topside. If a cover is not used the opening must be protected by rigid guardrails of adequate strength and toe boards.

When floor gratings are removed for fitting instrument cables etc., the area must be physically fenced off and signs put in place. Rope or warning tape is not considered as being adequate. Fences must not be removed before the floor is reestablished and inspected.

Collective safety measures, such as a safety net suspended beneath the area of work, must be adopted for persons installing floor panels and the floor panel’s locked/bolted in position as each one is fixed.

Persons not connected with the works must be prevented from inadvertently walking into the area until all panels are fixed and work complete. Double guardrails must be used for closing off such areas and notices clearly displayed prohibiting unauthorized access.

4.3.3 Hand Tools

Precautions must be taken to ensure that portable tools, hand tools etc, used in elevated work areas cannot fall onto people below. Safety nets and/or toe boards are suitable for this purpose.

So far as is reasonably practicable, barriers must be erected below to prevent person walking below such areas.

If none of the above is practical, then some form of protection from falling tools must be implemented e.g. use of straps/ropes attached to the tools and some appropriate anchor

4.3.4 Fall Protection Equipment

Fall Protection Equipment must be inspected by the user & trained person daily.

Double hook full body Safety harnesses that have been used in a fall arrest situation must be withdrawn from service and not reused/issued until after a full examination.

Records of the results of thorough examinations must be kept on site

Lifelines fall arrestor used for the attachment of Double hook full body Safety harnesses must be:

Horizontal lifelines must be made of steel rope 12 mm diameter (min)

Installed at waist height or above

Tensioned by use of a turnbuckle or similar

Designed to support the maximum number of workers

Securely anchored at both ends with triplicate wire rope clamps at points able to withstand the dynamic load generated by a fall

All lanyards must be made of fireproof materials. Inertia reels may be used to enable more safe movement around certain areas.

Safe access and egress must be provided to all places of work including access to lifelines, fall arrestor.

4.3.5 Adverse Weather Conditions

No one must be allowed to work on wet or work in exposed positions in the rain, scorching heat or strong winds. Also, plant and equipment such as cranes, mobile elevating work platforms, cradles etc. must not be used in such conditions.

4.4 Ladders, Scaffolds and Work Platforms

4.4.1 Special Cases

Where the provision of a work platform is not reasonably practical and the work does not fit into the category referred to in the paragraph above, alternative safety measures must be agreed in advance with the HSC’s HSE Representative.

4.4.2 Ladders

Ladders can be used for light tasks of low risk and short duration but not more than one person must be on the ladder and the ladder must be secured to prevent it from slipping outwards and sideways. The employee must inspect the ladder before use. The person on the ladder must wear a safety harness to prevent falling.

Ladders must be inspected at least once a monthly, must be in good condition and must be painted. Ladders must be installed at an angle of 4-1, must extend approximately 1m above the working platform and must be secured so they cannot slip.

Vertical ladders installed for construction purposes at a height where a person can fall more than 3 meters must have a cage/hoops or be fitted with a rappel line (vertical lifeline) as a continuous/sliding anchor point for a safety harness.

Vertical ladders over 9 meters long must have a platform every 9 meters and be offset at every platform.

Self-made ladders are not allowed on site.

4.5. Scaffolds and Work Platforms

4.5.1 Material Examination and Storage

All material must be examined upon arrival at site or during unloading; any defective items must be removed from the site or put into a specially designated and marked storage area.

4.5.2 Inspection

A register of all scaffolds erected and dismantled on site must be maintained

A trained and competent scaffold inspector must inspect erected scaffolds before first use before use and at least once weekly thereafter. Additionally, Supervisors must inspect scaffolds daily.

Inspections must also be carried out when a scaffold is substantially altered and after any event or incident likely to have affected the stability of the scaffold such as strong winds or being struck by a crane.

Inspection reports must be kept until the work is completed. All other records of inspection must be kept until the next inspection has been carried out.

A notice with warnings such as “scaffold under construction/dismantle - do not use” or a scarf-tag showing that it has been inspected and passed “safe for use” or condemned as “unsafe do not use” must be affixed at all scaffold access points. Scarf-tags must include the name of the inspector and the date of inspection.

4.5.3 Scaffold Erection

Scaffolds of “special” or “non-typical” design and any scaffold greater than 10metres in height must be designed by a suitably qualified engineer.

Persons erecting scaffolds, steel erectors and any other person likely to work in an area or in circumstances where the provision of a work platform is not practical must use fall protection equipment.

All work platforms must have a top guardrail fixed at a height of 1.1 m, an intermediate guardrail and toe boards to all sides from where a person or articles can fall.

Work platforms made from loose planks or boards are forbidden.

Gangways must have guardrails and toe boards on all sides from where a person or articles may fall.

Scaffolds erected around a structure, which may have electrical services, and where electrical equipment is to be used for work must be earthed to protect persons from electric shock. The earth cable must be routed to avoid damage from work equipment.

4.6. Roof Work

4.6.1 All persons required to undergo medical test & vertigo test.

4.6.2 All new persons required to safety training before start the job.

4.6.3 Every day before start the job required work permit checked & sign by safety person & to be serve toolbox talk.

4.6.4 Persons use permanent ladder / temporary ladder with use life line, fall arrestor & double hook full body harness for prevent fall arrest to climb up & get down.

4.6.5 Persons working on sloping roofs must use proper roof ladders designed to gain anchorage from the opposing slope or must be connected to a double hook full body harness with fall arrestor to lifeline positioned so that the person(s) cannot fall from the roof.

4.6.6 Persons working on fragile roofs must use crawling boards of sufficient length to span roof trusses. Buildings with fragile roofs must have a notice clearly displayed at all access points with the wording or similar “Danger Fragile Roof

4.7 Pipe line erecting & dismantling

All persons required to undergo medical test and vertigo test

All new persons required to safety training before start the job.

Gas & electrical shut down to be done for prevent fire hazards.

Every day before start the job required work permit checked and signed by safety person & to be serve toolbox talk for prevent accident

Persons use temporary ladder with use life line, fall arrestor and double hook full body harness for prevent fall arrest to climb up and get down.

While working at height near column is required scaffolding

While working at height, move one place to another place required fall arrestor with horizontal life line for one lanyard & other lanyard use to other anchor point with life line or direct to anchor point or other mechanical means for preventing accident.

4.8 Training

Training for working at height must include:

General Safety Needs, PPEs requirements, HSE policy

Risk from performing work at height

Details of the procedure for working at elevated work places i.e. Work permit, vertigo test,

Safe use of safety equipment (fall arrestor, life line, double hook full body harness, safety net)

Safe use of ladders

Scaffolding erection

Daily equipment checks including safety harness inspections

Rescue techniques to rescue someone suspended from a safety harness or having fallen into a safety net

Actions to be taken in case of emergency.

5.0 Records

Work permit

Competent persons list

Training records

PPE inspection records.