Prevention Of Falls When Working At Heights
Prevention of falls
Safety on construction sites is the responsibility of all. When working from heights, whether it is the client, builder or workers, everybody has a duty to ensure the safety of themselves and others on site.
The regulatory framework
The National Code Of Practice For The Prevention Of Falls In General Construction outlines the duties of everyone.
The Australian Standard AS/NZS 4994.1:2009 specifies the general requirements for the design, construction, and testing of temporary edge protection systems.
Safework NSW provides a Roof Edge Protection Fact Sheet which gives comprehensive guidance on the appropriate use of temporary edge protection systems
Steps in code of practise
When working at heights of over 2 metres, there are 3 main steps involved to meet the National Standard.
Identifying fall hazards,
Assessing the risk of harm to a person associated with each hazard, and
Controlling the risks.
Levels of risk control | control methods
At The Plant Yard, we can provide several risk control methods for hire of varying National Standard hierarchy levels. Our hire equipment ensuring that the highest level of safety is always accessible.
These levels of risk control are outlined below.
Level 1: Undertake the work on the ground or from a solid construction.
Level 2: Undertake the work using a passive fall prevention device. These include: mobile scaffolding, perimeter screens, perimeter guard railing, mesh panel edge protection systems, EWPs, work boxes & safety mesh.
Level 3: Undertake the work using a work positioning system such as travel restraint systems and industrial rope access systems.
Level 4: Undertake the work using a fall injury minimisation system such as a fall-arrest system.
Level 5: Undertake the work from platform ladders, or implement an administrative control such as ‘no go’ areas, permit systems, the sequencing of work and safe work procedures
Key points
There different ways to control risk of falls varying from least effective but easiest to impliment to most effective but expensive and time consuming to impliment. Its recommend to chose the highest level as possible within reason of equipment availability and cost.
With The Plant Yard we can supply equipment for all types of risk control.
Check out this NEWS article or call if you are unsure about minimizing the risk of falls on your construction project.
book or Get a quote
To get a quote on our working from heights safety equipment call us on +61418256435 or email theplantyard@theplantyard.com.au.
For more information on the prevention of falls in general construction, the National Code of Practice for the Prevention of Falls in General Construction can be found here.