Most fatal occupational accidents are caused by working at height. Despite the attention already paid to this issue, preventing such accidents is proving challenging. In addition, many accidents are also related to falling objects.  

The practical situations during which working at height takes place, are quite diverse. Many of these activities occur in construction and during installation and maintenance activities. This type of work requires a lot of concentration. The hazard here, is that people can only concentrate on one thing; either their work or their safety. When taking measures during the work activities, it turns out that employees do not always make the safest choices. Therefore, it is important to have as many preventive measures taken as possible.

Personal protection 

In addition to the primary steps in the AH-strategy, PPE usually remains required. Relevant products that we can provide, are: 

  • Positioning: The employee is connected to a fixed point by a harness with a rigid line. This prevents the employee from reaching the edge where the fall hazard exists. This effective, preventive measure, is applicable on roofs, in scissor lifts or work platforms on forklifts, in cranes or on telehandlers. By limiting your working area, you avoid reaching the risk of falling.

 

  • Fall protection: the employee is attached to a sufficiently strong anchor point by use of a harness with rigid line and fall arrest. If the employee should fall, the arrest will ensure a reduced effect on the fall.
     
  • Rope Acces: climbing harnesses, developed especially to climb, sit or hang in. By means of multiple ropes, attached to different anchor points, the employee will hoist himself to the right position. This application is used, for instance, for the maintenance of trees, but also during inspection- or cleaning activities at substantial height or depth. Persons working with the Rope Access must be physically fit and sufficiently trained.
     
  • Lanyards (Protection for tools): by attaching tools and materials to an object or personal harness, you can prevent your tools from falling, as a result of which they would impose a risk to the employees working at a lower level. 

Education & support fall from heights

We notice that employees only become aware of the risks of height differences when they discuss them together. The dialogue during courses and training will help to achieve this. Particularly, when we simulate the work situation, employees get more insight in the consequences of working at height.

Protection must be coordinated with the employee and his work conditions. These may vary in length, frequency, type of work and comfort. It is recommendable to involve the employees when selecting the protective equipment.  

By letting the employees testing the options themselves, you will know which PPE offers the best protection. Take their opinion seriously, so they become more motivated to wear their PPE. 

Which role can a PPE-consultant fulfil here? 

Our PPE advisers have advised in many diverse work environments. They are familiar with applicable laws and regulations. By going through the risks of falls from height with you, we can help you determine the required PPE.  

Knowledge and support are essential to try and solve this problem. That is why our PPE-consultants also offer SHE meetings and training! 

Frequently Asked Questions

The law prescribes that work activities at height can only be performed from a safe scaffold, platform, or work floor. If this is not possible, then other effective measures must be taken to prevent falling hazard. If, in practice, this also turns out to be impossible, then suitable work equipment must be chosen to perform the work as safely as possible. The RI&E or specific TRA must decide which measure or which work equipment is most suitable for a certain situation. 

Various legal regulations and guidelines have been drawn up for preventing falls from height. Here, we refer to articles in the Working Conditions Decree: 

  • Working Conditions Decree article 3.16: preventing falling hazard - the employer must take the necessary measures. 
  • Working Conditions Decree article 7.18b: hoisting and lifting gear for persons. 
  • Working Conditions Decree article 7.23: use of work equipment for working at height, such as ladders, scaffolds and steps. 
  • Working Conditions Decree article 7.34: scaffolds. 

Furthermore, measures were prescribed in the H&S catalogues, for branches that frequently deal with working at height, and were put in order of preference. and put in order of preference. 

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More information

Our advisors are happy to help you or make an appointment if you wish.

Phone: +31 184 434 455
Mail: info@veiliggoed.nl

PPE-scan  

By use of our scan, we inventory risks at function level. By means of an advisory report and a PPE-matrix, you will get an overview of the required protection measures. More information about the PPE-scan. 

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Fall hazard, occupational health and safety, fall protection, fall arrest harness, occupational health and safety, instruction

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