Do’s And Don’ts While Working At Height For Minimizing Risk

By Author: Punyam Academy
Total Articles: 42
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Working at height
Work at height means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. For example you are working at height if you:

1. are working on a ladder or a flat roof;
2. could fall through a fragile surface;
3. Could fall into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground.

Take a sensible approach when considering precautions for work at height. There may be some low-risk situations where common sense tells you no particular precautions are necessary and the law recognises this.

Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries. Common cases include falls from ladders and through fragile surfaces. 'Work at height' means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

These days, working at height safety training and online certification are available on web that guide about how employers can take simple, practical measures to reduce the risk of any of their workers falling while ...
... working at height.

What do I have to do?

You must make sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people with the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job. You must use the right type of equipment for working at height.

Take a sensible approach when considering precautions. Low-risk, relatively straightforward tasks will require less effort when it comes to planning and there may be some low-risk situations where common sense tells you no particular precautions are necessary.

Dos and don'ts of working at height

Do….
• as much work as possible from the ground
• ensure workers can get safely to and from where they work at height
• ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly
• take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces
• provide protection from falling objects
• consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures

Don't…
• Overload ladders – consider the equipment or materials workers are carrying before working at height. Check the pictogram or label on the ladder for information
• overreach on ladders or stepladders
• rest a ladder against weak upper surfaces, eg glazing or plastic gutters
• use ladders or stepladders for strenuous or heavy tasks, only use them for light work of short duration
• let anyone who is not competent (who doesn't have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job) work at height