alstom international ehs passport ehs training program working at height aiep-tm-9015-en_working at...

Alstom International EHS PassportEHS Training Program

Working at Height Working at Height

AIEP-TM-9015-en_Working at Height_Rev_02_101029

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© ALSTOM 2009. All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is provided without liability for information purposes only and is subject to change without notice. No representation or warranty is given or to be implied as to the completeness of information or fitness for any particular purpose. Reproduction, use or disclosure to third parties, without express written authority, is strictly prohibited.

Introduction

Content

Working at Height

Hazards Associated with Working at Heights

Control of Hazards

Steps for Safe Working at Height

Fall Prevention

Permit to Work

Emergency Rescue Plan

Local Application

Summary


The training module “Working at height” is an integrated part of the Alstom International EHS Training Program.

The content is based on the guidelines and procedures of the Corporate EHS Management System and has been edited for the purpose of training.

The content of the module and the corresponding knowledge test have been reviewed and approved by the AIEP Training Board, and will be updated and/or adjusted when deemed necessary.

The completion of this training module is mandatory, and the achievement of a passing grade in the knowledge test constitutes the minimum requirement to acquire the Alstom International EHS Passport.

Working at Height

Introduction

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Reference DocumentsAIEP

ReferenceTitle Document Number

C3-2.2 Working at Height PS_AIEP_0039

Working at Height


Upon completion of this training module, the student will know and understand:

what is working at height

hazards related to working at Height

safe working on ladders, scaffolds,work platforms & roofs

the hierarchy of measures to be taken when working at height

the key elements of safe working at height

the techniques and equipment to be used

emergency rescue

Learning Objectives

Working at Height


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary


Working at Height

Work at height is work in any place, including a place at, above or below ground level, where a person could be injured if they fell from that place.

Access and egress to a place of work can also be work at height.

It does not include stairways or slips or trips on the level.

What is Working at Height

Any persons involved with the design or erection of fall prevention or fall protection equipment must be subject to formal competence checks in order to ensure that they possess the necessary training, competence and qualifications to perform those tasks before being allowed to work on site.


Working at Height

Working on roof.

Working on ladders.

Working at ground level adjacent to an open excavation.

Working from temporary work platforms- scaffold, MEWP, tanks etc.

Examples of working at height


Working at Height

Planning, Organizing and Competence

Work at Height must be:

Properly planned and communicated to all, including contractors before work commences.

Appropriately supervised by competent people.

Not carried out if weather conditions jeopardise safety.

Those working at height must be:

Competent and entered onto a register.

Or, if being trained, supervised by a competent person.

Whilst passing this training module counts towards proving competence, annual practical training, experience and attendance at induction training, toolbox talks and risk assessment meetings provides further evidence towards proof of competence.


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary



Fall Occurs

from the edges of roofs

through gaps or holes in roof

through fragile roof materials and roof lights

injuries by material falling or thrown from roofs.

Working on roofs



Working on Ladders

Types of Ladders

Extension Ladder

Step Ladder

Rolling Ladder

Fixed Ladder

Rope Ladder

Ladder should be used for short-term & light work.



Working on Ladders

Hazards associated with Ladders

falls from ladders.

struck by falling ladders.

struck by materials falling from ladders.

tripping over ladders.

lifting heavy ladders.

striking persons or objects when carrying ladders.

contact with electrical equipment.



Working at ground level adjacent to an open excavation

Hazards while working at ground level adjacent to an open excavation.

falls.

falling object.

falling mobile equipment.

access/Egress.

collapse.



Working from Temporary Work Platforms- Scaffolds

Hazards while working from scaffolds.

fall from scaffolding.

electric shock .

scaffold collapse.

falling object.



Working from Temporary Work Platforms- MEWP

MEWP (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms)

A general term used for scissor lift, aerial platform, or an extensible or articulating boom aerial device (either self-propelled or vehicle-mounted) used for the purpose of positioning personnel, their tools and necessary materials to elevated work locations.



Working from Temporary Work Platforms- MEWP Hazards while working from MEWP

tip/roll-over.

collapses.

personnel being thrown from the basket.

falling or pinned by a nearby structure.

contact with electrical lines or equipment.


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary


When working on sloping roofs:

Use proper roof ladders.

Wear a safety harness.

When working on fragile roofs:

Use crawling boards.

Ensure a warning sign is displayed at all access points.

Control of Hazards

Working on roofs


Control of Hazards

Ladder Safety

May be used for light tasks of low risk and short duration (in conjunction with a safety harness); or access and egress to a work platform.

Must be secured to prevent slipping– sideways and outwards.

Should be Installed at an angle of 4:1 (or 75°).

Must extend approx. 1 m above working platform (if applicable).


Control of Hazards

Ladder Safety

Must not be painted.

Should be placed on a register and inspected at least once per week.

Vertical ladders installed for construction purposes, at a height where a person can fall more than 3 m, must be fitted with a cage / hoops and a vertical lifeline.

Vertical ladders over 9 m high must have platform every 9 m and be offset at every platform.


Control of Hazards

Ladder Safety

Always maintain a 3-point (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) contact on the ladder when climbing.

Use non conductive ladders around exposed wires or while working with electricity.

Secure your tools & materials to prevent fall.

Never use a damaged ladder (tag & remove it from service).

Do not over-reach in getting parts, material, etc.


Control of Hazards

Scaffolds

All scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by a competent person.

Once erected, scaffolds must be inspected by a competent person:

Before first use.

After substantial alteration.

After any event likely to have affected its stability e.g. after strong winds.

At least once every 7 days inspections must be recorded and a Scaf-tag system or equivalent used to indicate inspection status. In the event that faults are found, the tag must be pulled and the scaffold taken out of use until repaired.


Control of Hazards

Scaffolds

All scaffolds must have a top guardrail fixed at a height of 1.1 m, an intermediate guardrail & toe boards to all sides from where a person or material can fall.

Scaffolds and ladders must not be erected close to ejectors, blow-off valves or live power lines / cables / conductors.

Scaffolds erected around structures that may have electrical services, and where electrical equipment is to be used, must be earthed.


Control of Hazards

Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP) MEWP can provide safe access and safe working

at heights, and are often safer than ladders or other access equipment.

Equipment must be thoroughly tested & examined by a competent person before first use & at least once every six months.

Equipment must be inspected daily by operators / users and repaired if defects found.

Operators must be trained in its use, inspection and emergency procedures.

Baskets must have barriers / boards (approx. 1.1 m in height and toe boards / kick-plates).

Operators must wear a safety harness - attached to the basket.


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary



1: Risk Assessment.

2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height.

3: Planning and Organizing.

4: Ensure that those working at height are competent.

5: Use appropriate Work Equipment.

6: Manage the Risk from Falling Objects.

7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace.

Steps:



Step 1: Risk Assessment

Prior to any person working at height, a risk assessment must be carried out and properly communicated in order to identify the risks and the safety measures needed to eliminate or reduce the risk.

The first question should always be, “can the need for work at height be eliminated or minimised”.

A person who is sufficiently experienced to be able to identify competently the health and safety risks arising out of the work should carry out the assessment. The assessment must be reviewed by Alstom.

In those cases where it is not reasonably practicable to provide a safe working platform and a person has to rely on the use of a safety harness, a suitable rescue plan must also be considered.



Step 1: Risk Assessment Each assessment should be proportionate to

the risks involved but factors to consider include:

Environment and conditions – location, access, egress, weather and ground conditions, other activities.

Task to be performed - extent of the task, its complexity, duration, frequency.

People involved - numbers, degree of exposure to the risk, competence of workers involved, (including Contractors),levels of supervision required.

The quality of the site induction program, were Alstom’s expectations for working at height explained adequately?



Step 1: Risk Assessment

Also, consider risks to or presented by those not directly involved in the work, work equipment and / or other structures to be used.

Whatever action is taken to control the risk(s), it should be proportionate to the risk of harm and reflect what is reasonably practicable.

but remember, serious injuries can be caused by falls from relatively low heights (injury statistics show that falls from below 2 m account for two thirds of all major accidents); don’t assume that little or nothing need be done to prevent them. A height of 500mm should set the need for risk assessment.



Step 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height

Avoid – Prevent – Mitigate

Avoid working at height.

If you don’t have to go up there DON’T.

It may be possible to assemble a structure on the ground and then lift it into place using the appropriate lifting equipment.



Step 2: Hierarchy for Safe Working at Height Prevent falls

Where working at height is absolutely necessary, the first consideration must be to provide a safe working platform, so far as is reasonably practicable.

This could be a permanent structure such as a building, or an industrial plant, the top of a piece of machinery or a vehicle or an item of work equipment, such as a scaffold or a MEWP (mobile elevating working platform).

In all, cases it must be safe i.e. there is no foreseeable risk of a person falling from it.Work platforms must be strong and rigid enough to prevent people from falling, have no gaps in the flooring or toe boards and be able to withstand other loads likely to be placed on them.




Prevent falls

Edge protection must be provided.

Barriers other than guardrails and toe boards can be used, as long as they are at least 1.1 m high, secure and provide an equivalent standard of protection against falls and materials rolling, or being kicked, from any edges.

If the risk comes from falling through openings or fragile material an alternative to guard rails or a barrier is to cover the opening or material. Any covering should be:

Strong enough to support any loads likely to be placed on it (including the weight of a person); and

Fixed in position to prevent accidental dislodgement. To prevent people removing coverings, mark them with a warning (e.g.‘Hole below - do not remove’)




Mitigate the consequences of a fall.

Where the risk of people or objects falling still remains you should take steps to minimize the distance and consequences of such falls.

Give collective protective measures (e.g. guardrails, nets, airbags, MEWP etc.) precedence over personal measures.

Equipment chosen should minimize injury, but you must also consider

Work location e.g. trailing lanyards can cause a significant tripping hazard and are rarely suitable at a height below 4 m.

Consequences of falls - including the effects of the equipment used e.g. injury caused by deceleration and from hanging motionless in harness after the fall.



Step 3: Planning and Organizing

Consider the effects of adverse weather conditions

Suitable and sufficient lighting should be provided.

Lightning, wind, rain, snow, ice, temperature and sun will affect working conditions.

MWEP cannot be used in strong winds.

Bulky clothing could get caught up in machinery or make access more dangerous.

Build-up of mud on ladders will make them less safe, as would placing them on a surface that may have become slippery.

Extreme heat can make people exhausted more quickly and may increase likelihood of human error - regular work breaks may be necessary.



Step 3: Planning and Organizing

Plan the work and use suitable work equipment.

Provide appropriate supervision proportionate to the risks and the experience and capability of the people involved in the work.

Make sure those affected understand the risk assessment and what they must do to comply with it.

Plan for emergencies and rescue, taking account of possible risks to rescuers.



Step 4: Ensure that those working at height are competent

Competence is a combination of appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge, training and experience that collectively should enable a person to:

Undertake safely their specified activity at their level of responsibility.

Understand fully any potential risks related to the work activity (tasks and equipment).

Detect any defects or omissions and recognize any implications for health and safety with the aim of specifying appropriate remedial actions that may be required in relation to their particular work activity.



Step 5: Use appropriate Work Equipment

The choice of equipment:

Will depend on the risk assessment and envisaged usage.

Involves “reasonable practicability”.

Must prevent a person falling or minimize risk of doing so.

A ladder may reach the workplace but if workers need to climb it for long durations or with heavy or bulky equipment, scaffolding is likely to be more appropriate.



Step 5: Use appropriate Work Equipment

However, if a scaffold is to be in place for some time, the erection of a staircase with handrails would be more appropriate than a ladder tied in place.

On the other hand, the risks of installing scaffolding should be considered, especially for work of short duration, where a MEWP might be more appropriate.

However, MEWP should not generally be used as a means of access to and egress from work platforms – the necessity to climb out of MEWP should be avoided.



Step 6: Manage the Risk from Falling Objects

Precautions must be taken to ensure that portable tools, hand tools, materials etc. cannot fall onto people below.

Consider the use of collective protection measures such as safety nets, plastic sheeting and toe boards.

Where reasonably practicable, erect barriers below the work platform to prevent people walking below and / or erect warning signs.

Consider attaching tools to straps / lanyards fixed to anchor points, but bear in mind this may introduce additional tripping hazards.



Step 6: Manage the Risk from Falling Objects

Never throw or drop tools, materials etc. below.

Consider the use of enclosed rubbish chutes or lower debris in containers.



Step 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace Inspection of Equipment

A competent person should determine the nature, frequency and extent of any inspection taking account of such factors as the type of equipment, how and where it is used, its likelihood to deteriorate, etc..

Formal thorough examinations are not a substitute for any pre-use checks or routine maintenance.

Inspection of the Workplace

Surface conditions and other permanent features where work at height will be taking place should be checked each time before work starts in order to identify whether there are any obvious defects.



Step 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace Maintenance

Frequency of maintenance will depend on the equipment, the conditions in which it is used and the manufacturer’s instructions.

Planned preventive maintenance involves replacing parts or making necessary adjustments at pre-set intervals.

Condition-based maintenance involves monitoring the condition of safety-critical parts and carrying out maintenance whenever necessary e.g. hydraulic systems in a MEWP.

Any equipment used in working at height which is found to be defective, must be removed from service until repaired or destroyed.



Step 7: Inspect and Maintain the Work Equipment and Workplace Competence

All personnel must be competent in the inspection and maintenance tasks they are required to perform.

Hired Equipment

Where work equipment is hired, it is important that both the hire company and the person responsible for hiring the equipment agree upon which party will carry out safety-related inspection and maintenance. This arrangement must be documented.


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary


Fall Prevention

When an elevated work location cannot be accessed safely from a ladder or protected work platform or when the installation of guardrails is infeasible, fall restraint or fall arrest systems may be used.

Personal fall-arrest system arrests a fall.

Personal fall-restraint system prevents a fall.

Fall Protection Equipment


Fall Prevention

A personal fall-arrest system consists of an anchorage, connectors, and a full-body harness that work together to stop a fall and to minimize the arrest force. Other parts of the system will include a lanyard, a deceleration device, and may include a lifeline.

A personal fall-restraint system prevents a worker from reaching an unprotected edge and thus prevents a fall from occurring. The system consists of an anchorage point, connectors and a body harness.

Fall Protection Equipment


Fall Prevention

When using a fall arrest system, the fall distance calculation must account for the length of lanyard, deceleration distance, the height of the person wearing the equipment (or the height of the D-ring attached to the back of the harness), the position of the anchorage point, lanyard or rope elongation and a safety factor.

Fall Distance Calculation


Fall Prevention

Safety harnesses and associated equipment must be inspected daily or before each use by the user and every three months by a competent person.

Harness used in a fall arrest situation must be withdrawn from service and not re-used until a full examination has been performed.

Records of thorough examinations must be maintained.

All lanyards should be made from flame resistant materials.

Inertia reels may be used to enable safer movement in certain areas.

Fall Protection Equipment- Safety Harness, Lanyards, Fall Arrestor


Fall Prevention

Lifelines used for the attachment of safety harnesses must be:

Made from steel rope – standard 12 mm .

Installed and validated by a competent person.

Tensioned by turnbuckle or similar.

Designed to support the maximum number of workers – standard three people.

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

Fall Protection Equipment- Safety Harness, Lanyards, Fall Arrestor


Control of Hazards

Guardrails (Edge protection)

A Guardrails should be used in situations when it is not reasonably practicable to use temporary work platforms.


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary


Permit to Work

A well designed ‘Permit to Work System’ is always useful & additional control to check safety points particularly while working on roof.

A permit to work may be required for

All work on roofs within 2 metres of an unprotected or inadequately protected:

Edge or where there is a risk of falls from height.

All work on fragile roofs or within 2 metres of fragile material, including:skylights.

All work above extraction stack fan level.

Any work at height where collective prevention methods could not be used.

Work Permit


Permit to Work

In addition to a permit to work system, management must place strict controls over working at height activities which will include:.

Weekly inspection by Alstom management of all working at height activities.

Findings, statistics, actions and management of change issues relating to working at height activities will be discussed at weekly operational meetings.

All contractors to be subject to a regular inspection regime by Alstom management and taking contractual measures against any contractor company for significant or repetitive deviations from Alstom standards.

Disciplinary measures against persons who deliberately deviated from Alstom standards or line management who allowed such deviations. Such disciplinary measures will reflect the importance that Alstom attach to working at height and may include a charge of gross misconduct.

Management Control


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary



A rescue plan must be developed where a safety harness is being used as a control measure & when personnel may not able to self Rescue.

A person suspended in a harness may be unconscious within five minutes and dead within fifteen minutes if help is not immediately available.

Any method statement must include a rescue plan that considers how an injured worker could be safely recovered. Speed of response is an essential consideration.

The emergency plan must be simulated annually.

Rescue Plan


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary


Local Application

Left blank intentionally!

Working at Height


Introduction

Content

Working at Height


Control of Hazards


Fall Prevention

Permit to Work


Local Application

Summary


Work at height is work in any place, including a place at, above or below ground level, where a person could be injured if they fell from that place.

Working at height include working on ladder, roof, adjacent to excavations etc.

Ladder should be used for short-term & light work.

Hazards while working on height include fall, trip, strike, Electrical, falling object, collapse

Use roof ladder, crawling board & safety harness.

Ladder should be secured & installed at an angle of 4:1

All scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by a competent person with adequate guardrails.

MEWP can provide safe access and safe working at heights,

Summary

Working at Height


Perform a Risk Assessment and implement controls proportionate to the risks.

Adopt the Hierarchy of Risk Management. Avoid – Prevent – Mitigate.

Always opt for collective protection in preference to personal protection.

Plan and Organize for adverse weather conditions, adequate supervision & emergencies

Inspect and maintain the workplace equipment to ensure its continued safety.

Personal fall-arrest system arrests a fall.

Personal fall-restraint system prevents a fall.

A Guardrails should be used in situations when it is not reasonably practicable to use temporary work platforms

Summary

Working at Height

www.alstom.com

NEW


Revision Date Changes Author

01 01.12.2009 • Restructured as per new GEMS Power point template.

• Introduce new contents & revised old contents considering learning objectives & GEMS procedure.

• Added slide “Reference Documents”

• Edited “Summary” to reflect content of module

• Added slide “Change Record”

Harish Makhija

02 29.10.2010 • Ensure alignment of material with the new AIEP Emmanuel Thouet

GEMS_TM_9010_en

Change Record:

alstom international ehs passport ehs training program working at height aiep-tm-9015-en_working at...

Documents

height safe working

height slide

information purposes

completeness of information

height hazards

introduction content

purpose of training

training module