WORKING AT HEIGHT INSTRUCTIONS

WORKING AT HEIGHT - SITUATIONS

Working at Height comprises all work situations where risk of a fall of 6 ft (1.8 m) or more exists. Examples are:

  1. Working on any platform, roof or floor within 6 ft (1.8 m) of an unprotected edge.
  2. Working on open steel form work, piping, or equipment.
  3. Working from straight ladders when both hands are needed for work.
  4. Working from incomplete or suspended scaffolds.
  5. Working near edge of excavations.

WORKING AT HEIGHT –

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

  1. Permit-to-Work must be issued along with job specific HIRA / JSA.
  2. HIRA / JSA must be discussed with the working team daily to highlight hazards and mitigation measuresfor the work being carried out that day.
  3. All height work must be supervised by competent persons with assigned responsibility.
  4. All persons required to work at height must be medically fit, trained and certified with HEIGHT PASSES.
  5. Double lanyard full body harnesses as per IS standard must be used for all height work.
  6. The lanyards must be tied-off to two independent supports both of which must not be below shoulder level.
  7. Horizontal life-lines must be of steel wire rope, installed and certified for use by a competent person.
  8. For erection of columns, a steel ladder of correct design and specification must be welded on to it on the ground itself and fitted with a vertical life-line for use of fall arrestors.

Column with Ladder and fall arrestor rope on ground before erection

Erected column with fall arrestor rope

  1. While climbing fixed steel ladders, use of two lanyards for continuous tie-off is mandatory beyond a height of 20 m, irrespective of the use of fall arrestors.

Workman climbing on column by using double lanyard safety harness

Workman showing fall arrestor

  1. During height work, all loose material including tools must be properly secured to self or the steel structure.
  2. In the absence of solid decking, safety nets must be provided beneath and around the height work area suitable for arresting falling material.
  3. The entire periphery of the building structure must be protected by safety nets as per the Standard.

Use of Safety Nets

  1. The full area at ground level beneath the height work area must be properly barricaded with warning signs and supervised to prevent unauthorized entry.
  2. All floors or platforms ready for use without fall protection, must be certified as such, by a competent authority.
  3. All scaffolds must be erected as per the approved standard and specification and must be certified as fit for use by a competent person.

Model Scaffold

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Rev 0, Date- June 24, 2009