Working At Heights Guidelines - About Us

1 Working At Heights GuidelinesRuaan BreedtExecutive Production ManagerSpiderWebb& Vice Chairman for Inland EXCO Agenda What Is Working At Heights ? Why Must You Have Fall Arrest Equipment? Fall Protection plan Responsibility to have Fall Protection Full Body Harness Lanyards Life Lines Work positioning Fall Arrest Systems Fall Factors Fall Protection V/S Fall Arrest Training Applicable Standards and listing Understanding Suspension Trauma and how to manage Is Working At height ? When a person is Working in a position where they can fall.

2 Elevated positions Close to excavations Roof tops Underground Confined spacesWhy Must You Have Fall Arrest Equipment? Construction Regulation All work at an elevated position must happen in conjunction with a Fall Protection plan Document that forms a part of the safety file Fall Protection plan consist of: Base line risk assessment PPE requirements Rescue equipment Training requirements Rescue plan Procedures Legal requirementsFall Protection plan Base line risk assessmentAn assessment is done where work required is done by a competent person to identify the risks involved with performing work at height on aparticular job site.

3 Fall prevention equipmentEquipment that is used to prevent persons from falling from an elevated position, including personal equipment, body harness, lanyards, life lines or physical equipment, guardrails, screens, barricades or similar equipment. Fall arrest equipment Is equipment used to arrest the person in a fall from an elevated position, including personal equipment, body harness, lanyards, deceleration devices, lifelines or similar equipment, but no body Protection plan Rescue planAdocumented plan , of all risks relating to rescuing a victim from an elevated position, considering the nature of the work undertaken, and setting out the procedures and methods to be applied in order to eliminate the risk considering time and injuries.

4 Rescue equipmentIs equipment used to rescue a person after a fall from an elevated position, including personal equipment, body harness, lanyards, rope, descending and ascending devices, lifelines or similar equipment. Training This is training that is required to use the equipment, fit the equipment,and perform the procedures set out by the Fall Protection plan . Legal requirementsMakes sure all aspects of the rest of the OHS act and Construction regulation is upheld. Like Medical competencies, fitness, safety files To Have Fall Protection Fall protection is required before work begins.

5 A Employer must supply a employee with the correct equipment and training to remain safe wile performing their duties. A Employee must use the equipment and training received by there employer to stay safe. User must inspect their fall arrest equipment every time! before use! The employer must make sure fall arrest and fall prevention equipment is stored correctly, maintained correctly and inspected by a competent person at the correct intervals. Every one Working at Heights must know all the procedures set out by the Fall Protection plan .

6 Protection from falling objects is a requirement. Employees Working in an area where there is a danger of falling objects must wear approved head protection fitted with a chin strap Employer must take steps to protect employees from hazards (establish barricades or build canopies).Responsibility To Have Fall ProtectionFull Body Harness Harness systems consist of either nylon or polyester and the best system will encompass the entire body (full body harness). Body belts can not be used for fall protection. A full body harness will evenly distribute weight across the waist, pelvis, and Lanyards connect the harness to the anchorage point.

7 Must have a minimum breaking strength of 22KN Should be attached to a D ring between the shoulder blades above the employee. There are several types of lanyards that include: synthetic webbing, synthetic rope and shock of lanyards: Self retracting Eliminates excess slack in the lanyard (cable, rope, or webbing) Shock absorbing Device slows and eventually stops decent and absorbs the forces ( : rip the stitching -controlled tearing) Synthetic rope Absorbs some of the force by stretching Synthetic webbing Strong but not flexible (absorbs little force).

8 LifelinesLifelines consist of flexible material connected at one or both ends to an anchorage point, and can be temporary or permanent. There are two types of life : hangs vertically : connects at both points to stretch horizontally (serves as connection point for other components) . Work Positioning Restraint Allows users to be supported from a vertical surface ( : wall or telephone pole). Not a fall arrest system! Fall Arrest SystemsThere are 3 different types of fall arrest systems according to SANS 50363 :2003 / EN 363 : 20031.

9 Full body Harness + shock absorbing lanyard 2. Full body Harness + self retracting Lanyard (fall Arrest block)3. Full body Harness + life line and fall is important to use the correct fall arrest system in the correct environment to ensure the fall arrest system suits the requirements. Fall Factors210 BestFall Factors210 BestFall Factors210 BestFall Factors210 Best Preventionsystem include: Guardrails Safety nets Covers Fences Barricades Fall Arrestsystems components include: Anchorage points Lanyard Hooks Life lines Body harnessFall Protection V/S Fall ArrestTrainingAll employees Working at Heights must receive training by a recognized accredited service provider done to unit standards as by the construction regulationSouth African National Standards SANS 50354 / EN354 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Lanyards SANS 50355 / EN355 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Energy absorbers SANS 50358 / EN 358 Personal equipment for work

10 Positioning and prevention of falls from height -Work positioning systems SANS 50360 / EN 360 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Retractable type fall arresters SANS 50361 / EN 361 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Full body harnessesSouth African National Standards SANS 50362 / EN 362 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Connectors SANS 50363 / EN 363 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Fall arrest systems SANS 50364 / EN 364 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -Test methods SANS 50365 / EN 365 Personal protective equipment against falls from height -General requirements for instructions for use, maintenance, periodical examination, repair.