Product category:
Slip, trip and fall protection
News Release from: Procter Machine Guarding | Subject: Access platforms
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 June 2005
How to comply with the Work at Height
Regulations
This article explains what can be done to help comply with the new Work at Height Regulations within an industrial environment.
Concern has been growing that the new Work at Height Regulations will outlaw the use of everyday access equipment such as stepladders and ladders The new Regulations finally came into force on 6 April 2005 and do not go as far as some people feared, but the Regulations' scope is far-reaching, and countless employers, employees and self-employed workers need to be aware of the implications
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 Sep 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The Work at Height Regulations 2005 consolidate previous legislation on working at height and implement European Council Directive 2001/45/EC concerning minimum safety and health requirements for the use of equipment for work at height (the Temporary Work at Height Directive).
Although the biggest impact will be on those who routinely work at height - such as builders - it has to be remembered that there are others who find themselves working at height on an occasional basis.
These people and their managers probably need to be reminded more than any others about the implications of the Work at Height (WAH) Regulations.
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Most importantly, there is no rule about what constitutes 'height', as it is recognised that even falling from the smallest of steps can cause injury.
The WAH Regulations therefore apply to almost everybody (even a storeman standing on a step stool to reach a high shelf), though this article will concentrate on the needs of maintenance staff working on plant and large machinery.
Nevertheless, the main thrust of the regulations is to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries that result from falls from height.
And if you are in any doubt as to the magnitude of the problem, consider these statistics: in the year 2003/4, there were 67 fatalities and almost 4000 major injuries.
Minor injuries, such as sprains, cuts and bruises, will be in addition to these figures.
Interestingly, the Regulations say that an employee or someone working under someone else's control (typically a contractor) is obliged to report any safety hazard to the employer or equivalent.
Of course they must also use any equipment supplied, in accordance with any training or instruction given.
The overriding principle in the Regulations is that employers must do everything that is reasonably practicable to prevent anyone falling.
There is then a hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment for working at height: avoid work at height where possible; use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls; use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur.
More detailed advice is contained in a free publication from the HSE, 'The Work at Height Regulations 2005, A Brief Guide' (reference INDG401), which can be downloaded for free via the HSE's website.
For a long time traditional scaffolding and tower scaffolds have been recognised as safer and more convenient than ladders for many operations such as regular maintenance of large machinery.
Indeed, anyone who conducts a risk assessment - as they must under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) - will see that ladders are unsuitable for all but a limited range of activities.
However, the new WAH Regulations call for 'such visual or more rigorous inspection by a competent person as is appropriate for safety purposes - (including) any testing appropriate for those purposes'.
The employer must also inspect scaffolding 'after it is assembled or installed if its safety depends on how it is assembled or installed'.
In other words, erecting a traditional or tower scaffold to carry out maintenance or repairs calls for a risk assessment, inspection and reporting, which can add significantly to the total cost of the exercise.
As an alternative, managers of process plant and manufacturing facilities are starting to take a fresh look at permanent access platforms.
Procter Machinery Guarding suggests that, as a rule-of-thumb, permanent access platforms are more cost-effective than temporary scaffolding after they have been used as little as three times.
Taking into account the extra paperwork and management time now necessary under the new Regulations, the argument swings even more strongly in favour of the permanent option.
If suitable platforms, walkways and fixed ladders are in place, no time is needed to assemble the means of access, and the labour requirement is often reduced from two or more down to one.
There is also no disruption to production caused by scaffolding obstructing access at floor level, and companies that have installed access platforms often find that easier access means that maintenance takes place more frequently - leading to higher quality production with more consistent output.
Another benefit is that bespoke access platforms usually provide better access than tower scaffolding because they can reach over and around plant, and, in the case of emergency maintenance following an unplanned stoppage, access can be gained immediately so that downtime is minimised.
Aside from improving safety and reducing the cost of maintenance, custom-designed access platforms can also provide the optimum location from which to control processes, view production or replenish hoppers of raw materials.
Procter Machinery Guarding has over 50 years of experience of supplying bespoke access platforms.
Customers are offered a free site survey, after which a quotation is prepared that includes the costs of designing, manufacturing and installing the platforms, ladders, guard rails and associated hardware to the customer's specification.
All designs are completed in accordance with the requirements of the EEMUA (Engineering Equipment and Material Users' Association) as well as relevant British and European standards.
Designs are done on site, which ensures they take full account of control panels, cable ducts and similar obstructions, and are highly accurate - which also helps the installation to be completed as quickly as possible.
Installations can be scheduled to take place at weekends or during planned maintenance shutdowns so as to avoid disruption to production.
Procter Machinery Guarding has its own teams of experienced fitters that can travel anywhere in the UK and Ireland.
To discuss any requirements for access platforms, either for existing plant or new projects, please contact Procter Machinery Guarding. Request a free brochure from Procter Machine Guarding ...
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