February Health and Safety Memo – Working From Height

• Avoid working at height when possible to do so.
• Ensure employees use appropriate and stable equipment to get to and from heights safely.
• Assess risks regularly and ensure work is planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.
• Where working at height cannot be easily avoided, prevent falls by using an existing place of work that is already known to be safe.

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 (a maximum of 30 minutes at a time)
• let anyone who is not competent (who doesn’t have the skills, knowledge, and experience to do the job) work at height

In addition, Quadra can carry out a Working At Height Risk Assessment to help you minimise the risk of accidents associated with Working At Height. For more information, contact us today by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01 832 1493 / 028 9042 3222