Choosing personal fall protection equipment for work at height
A brief introduction to assist purchasers and
specifiers.
Personal fall protection should be used in situations where it is not practicable
to arrange for the work to be done from a more suitable surface, such a fixed
or temporary work platform.
If personal fall protection equipment (FPE) is the chosen method, it is necessary
to select a system which will minimise the possibility and consequences of
any fall.
If a personal fall protection system that prevents a fall is to be used it
should be one designed to prevent the user reaching zones where the risk of
a fall exists, or one that prevents the onset of a fall. Where it is not practicable
to use a system that prevents a fall, then, as a last resort, a fall arrest
system should be used.
The following methods of fall protection are available, listed in order of preference.
Work restraint
This may be appropriate fall arrest equipment, work positioning
equipment or a simple belt coupled with a lanyard of limited length.
The restraint system should be chosen and arranged so that it is
not possible for the user to access zones where the risk of a fall
exists
Work positioning
A work positioning system should be used allows the user to
be in a partly or entirely supported position. The work positioning
system should include a safety back-up system, in addition to the primary
support, so that should there be an operator error or failure of the
primary support, a fall will be prevented or arrested
Fall arrest
Fall arrest equipment will not prevent a fall from occurring and these systems
are therefore the least preferred methods of working at height Fall arrest
systems contain a full body harness conforming to BS EN 361 and a system
or device that provides a means of attachment to an anchor, and that has
energy absorbing capacity
Heightec provide appropriate rescue systems are available for al of the above working methods.
CompetenceSchedule 5 of The Work at Height Regulations requires that all users of FPE must be competent to do so:
"the user and a sufficient number of available persons have received adequate training specific to the operations envisaged, including rescue procedures"
Training courses in every aspect of work at height are available from our specialist training division, The National Centre for Work at Height - see www.work-at-height.co.uk
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