Selection of Equipment for Working at Height
Distance to be Reached
If loads are being carried, it is not appropriate to use portable (mobile) ladders for accessing high places. Instead of these ladders, the use of elevatable work platforms or access towers with internal ladders should be preferred.
Conditions Related to the Work Area
When deciding what type of equipment will be used for the activity to be carried out, the following points should be considered:
- Slope and poor ground conditions,
- Obstacles in the work area (e.g., steel structures, hanging/suspended materials, etc.),
- Brittle surfaces,
- Loads applied to the ground.
Possible Fall Distance and Consequence
If safety nets or airbags are to be used, these devices are ineffective in cases where fall distances are long, so they should be as close as possible to the working level.
If a fall arrest system must be used, it should be ensured that there is sufficient distance for the worker to remain suspended without hitting any obstacles or the ground below.
Evacuation and Rescue
If a fall arrest system is mandatory, a rescue plan must be prepared in case the worker remains suspended.
Installation and Dismantling
When selecting work equipment, risks at all stages, not only during use, should be taken into account. For example, to allow a worker to repair a roof, a temporary edge protection system may need to be installed, which might require two or more workers to erect an access tower and work at height.
To prevent more workers from being exposed to risk, the worker can safely perform the task from a platform using a basket crane.
Equipment Selection for Working at Height
Which Factors Should Be Considered?
Frequency and Duration of Use
For long-lasting or regularly performed tasks, higher standards of fall protection measures are required. For example, tower scaffolds or elevatable platforms are more suitable than ladders. Simple tools such as hand ladders or household ladders may be more appropriate for short-term tasks.
Using a platform or scaffold to change a light bulb may not be reasonable since the task is very short. However, if many bulbs or fluorescent lamps are to be installed in a suspended ceiling and the work will take a long time, using scaffolds or platforms is more appropriate.
The risk is much greater on fragile roof sheets. Working on or near these surfaces should be avoided. For example, when repairing a leaking roof window, an access tower or elevatable platform should be used if possible. This completely eliminates the risks related to installing and dismantling any work equipment on the roof.
How to Decide Which Equipment to Use?
Priority should be given to collective protection measures rather than personal protective measures.
What is Collective Protection?Collective protection equipment, provided it is properly installed, does not require any worker intervention during work and can protect multiple workers. Examples include access towers with guardrails that prevent falls, elevatable platforms, scaffolds, and safety nets and airbags that reduce the consequences of falls.
What is Personal Protection?Personal protective equipment protects only the user and requires actions by the user such as donning and adjusting to be effective. Examples include movement-restricting fall prevention equipment and fall arrest equipment that reduces the consequences of falls.
Why Should Collective Protection Measures Be Prioritized?Collective protection measures have many advantages. Their easier use and protection of everyone at risk in the work area are the most obvious benefits. They also require less effort in terms of maintenance and user training.
Personal protection measures have some disadvantages. These include the need for serious training and maintenance and that they protect only the user.
How to Act in Practice?
When taking fall protection measures at the workplace, the following points should be considered:
- Prefer access towers/mobile scaffolds (collective fall prevention) over movement-restricting systems (personal fall prevention),
- Prefer airbags over fall arrest systems,
- Since airbags do not prevent falls but only reduce the consequences, movement-restricting systems that prevent falls should be preferred before airbags.
Table of Fall Protection Equipment
| Type of Protection | Fall Preventive Equipment | Equipment Reducing Fall Consequences | Equipment Neither Preventing Nor Reducing Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collective | Guardrails, scaffold systems, access towers, basket cranes, scissor lifts, stepped platforms | Airbags, safety nets | – |
| Personal | Movement-restricting systems | Fall arrest systems | Hand ladders, household ladders |
The use of collective fall protection equipment emphasized in the table should always be prioritized.
What Else Can Be Done?
Those who select, use, install, and inspect the equipment must have access to all information (provided by the manufacturer, other technical information, etc.), have received the necessary training, and be competent in the subject. Additionally, the equipment should be regularly checked, inspected, and maintained.