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Height Safety Technical Aspects and TrainingRISK ASSESSMENT PROCEDURESPrior to any work being carried out where a risk of a fall could occur, a risk assessment should be conducted to identify the hazards that exist and the risks that they pose. Simple Risk Assessment Procedure
Reference should be made to AS/NZS1891.4 for the Correct Use, Selection and Maintenance criteria for Height Safety Systems. It is recommended that wherever possible "fall restraint" systems should be deployed to reduce the risks to height safety equipment users. Fall restraint methods means that the user cannot have any free fall in the system which means reduce load requirements and possible shock loads on the user and anchor points. The image to the right is of a working group undertaking a pre work risk assessment and checking of all equipment to be used on the job. The equipment checking is recorded, and discussed along with the work method statement to be used.
WORKING AT HEIGHTGeneral Principles of Safely Working at HeightsWork sites today pose hazards that can cause serious harm from many quarters. The responsibility to end each and every day safely rests not only with your employer but more importantly with yourself. Many of us take risks to complete a job, most of the time these risks can be avoided and should be avoided. When it comes to high risk tasks, very few of us take the time to look at ways of reducing the hazard, but focus on the task at hand, and either we ignore or are unaware of the possible hazards that are around us. In today's workplace we need to be aware of the hazards that are present and look at the ways that these hazards can be reduced. This principle has been used in many very high risk occupations for some time, and the benefits have been rewarding with a noticeable reduction in accidents statistics. A risk assessment - hazard reduction programme is covered on the previous page and we recommend that all users of height safety equipment, whether in a high risk or low risk application, should use a risk assessment programme to reduce the hazards that could cause serious harm. General Terminology used in Fall Prevention
FALL RESTRAINT
Restraint equipment includes a harness, an anchor point and a specified length lanyard. This lanyard can be a shock absorbing type but it is not necessary as the person will not be able to fall therefore not shock load themselves or any equipment.
FALL ARREST
Limited Free Fall Systems reduce shock loading on all components - the equipment and more importantly the user. Shock absorbers should still be used. In larger inertia reels the shock absorbing element is in-built.
In this application a shock absorber must be included in the system to ensure forces occurring during the fall arrest must not exceed 6kN. (See section on Fall Forces and Fall Clearances for more information) FALL ARREST CONSIDERATIONS FALL CLEARANCEWhen using fall arrest type equipment, it is essential that there be adequate clearance under the area of work so that in the event of a fall, the user will not strike the ground or any other hazardous objects during the arrest, or in a worst case scenario suffer very minimal injuries from striking any other obstacles beneath the work area. If it is assessed that the occurrence of a fall would endanger the user then other alternatives of fall protection systems must be considered. This may include the use of shorter shock absorbing lanyards, retracting lanyards, adjustable lanyards or full restraint lanyards. In each case the fall clearance must be identified and the hazards associated with fall clearance eliminated. With the reduction of free fall distances other benefits can occur, if the free fall distance is reduced then the load on the system and the person could be reduced, along with the recovery method may be significantly reduced if the users fall distance is kept to a minimum. Wherever possible the attachment point for a fall arrest system should be located above the users attachment point on the harness, when this is not possible the shock absorbing lanyard length must be reduced to ensure that the maximum fall distance of the user is limited to 2m. A user should never climb above the attachment point using a fall arrest shock absorbing lanyard as this only adds to the free fall distance and consequently adds to the overall shock load on the system, should this occur.
Enquiry FormThis is a short form you can submit to request information from Active Lifting:
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This table is a sample only as many other hazard factors can and will come into account. Other issues to be addressed at this stage include, but are not limited to: Nature of the work, surface materials, fragile roofing material, personal training levels, competency, weather conditions, surface conditions, etc.
Total Restraint - To control a persons movement by means of
a combination of a harness, a restraint line and line anchorage
point that will physically prevent the person from reaching a
position at which there is a risk of a free fall.
Restrained Fall - A fall or the arrest of a fall where the
person suffering the fall is partially restrained by a restraining
device such as a pole strap, restraint line or is sliding down a
slope on which it is normally possible to walk without the
assistance of a hand rail or hand line.
Limited Free Fall - A fall or the arrest of a fall where the fall
distance prior to the system taking the load, and the maximum
distance of any free fall component will not exceed 600mm.
Free Fall Arrest - A fall or the arrest of a fall where the fall
distance before the fall-arrest system begins to take any
loading, is in excess of 600mm either vertically or on a slope
which is not possible to walk without assistance of a handrail
or hand line. Maximum Free Fall distance permitted is 2m, with
a shock absorbing lanyard. (Please note fall clearance requirements
at bottom of this page)
Total restraint is one of the safest methods of working at heights
as the equipment used does not allow the user to be able to reach a position where a fall can occur. In the past waist belts
have been used to provide restraint working positions however
with industry aiming for the safest practice or best practice, 
Restrained fall again does not allow the user to reach a position
where a free fall can occur, but the restrained fall is where a
person can swing or slide until the equipment is loaded. A common
example of this is a linesperson working on a pole or tower using a
pole strap, as the pole strap is used under tension then there is no
free fall component and hence no shock load in the system.
The other type of work method that is referred to as restraint fall
is when working on a slope in which it is possible to walk
without any assistance of a hand rail or hand line, and a slip
could occur allowing the user to slide on the roof surface, with
the equipment not allowing the user to reach an edge for a free
fall to occur, this is referred to as a restrained fall.
Limited free fall is used to describe a system that has a free fall component where the
overall fall distance is less than 600mm. This is typically used in systems such as ladder
systems were the arrest device is located slightly below the connection point on the
harness, so that if the user falls they will travel past the arrest device at which time this
locks and prevents the user from falling any further. This type of system limiting the fall
distance to less than 600mm is used to substantially reduce the force of the fall arrest,
however using the best practice work method a shock absorber should be used in the
system to ensure that the maximum force the user feels is less than 6kN.
Other types of restrained fall systems can include
inertia reels or retracting lanyards as these devices
arrest fall situations in less than a 600mm free fall
distance.
Free fall arrest is where the user has a free falling component
which is greater than 600mm but less than 2m.
