Fall Protection

    Leglislation Governing Fall Protection




    The HSE states:


    In 2005/06 falls from height accounted for 46 fatal accidents at work and around 3350 major injuries. They remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury.


    SOURCE: HSE Publication: The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended)



     

    A Simplified Overview of the Working At Height Regulations

     

    According to the European directive 89/656/CEE, the employer or company responsible must put fall protection measures in place for persons working at height. The employer should try to minimise the risk through design or engineering controls and provide measures to prevent falls. If this is not feasible then other protective measures should be considered, such as personal fall protection equipment and systems.

     

    EU directive 89/686/EEC. It covers the specific conditions required to place into the European market and the basic safety requirements of all PPE. To show compliance products are CE Marked by a notified body.

    Section 8 of the Regulations requires that PPE may not be placed on the market unless:

    - It satisfies basic health and safety requirements

    - An appropriate conformity assessment procedure has been carried out

    - The CE mark has been affixed to it

    - When properly maintained and used for its intended purpose it does not compromise the safety of the user.

     

    European Directive 2001/45/EC Clause 4

    "Provisions concerning the use of work equipment provided for temporary work at a height"

     

    EN795: 1996 Protection against falls from a height- Anchor devices- Requirements and testing

    "Class C comprises anchor devices employing horizontal flexible lines. For the purpose of this standard, a horizontal line is understood to be a line which deviates from the horizontal by not more than 15 degrees"

    EN 365:2004 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height -General requirements for instructions for use, maintenance, periodic examination, repair, marking and packaging.

    "Recommendation in regard to the frequency of periodic examinations, taking account of such factors as legislation, equipment type, frequency of use, and environmental conditions. The recommendation shall include a statement to the effect that the periodic examination frequency shall be at least every 12 months;"

     

    Working at Height Regulations (WaHR) 2005.

    Introduced in 2005 the Working at Height Regulations (WaHR) replace all the earlier regulations, 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 working at height (the Temporary Work at Height Directive).

    One of the major differences from the existing regulations is that it removed the "6 feet rule" which stated the minimum height where workers required fall protection and instead defines that a place is "at height" if a person could be injured falling from it, even if it is at or below ground level.

    The regulations place duties on employers, the self-employed, and any person who controls the work of others (e.g. facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height) to ensure:

     

    1. All work at height is properly planned and organised
    2. Those involved in work at height are competent
    3. All risks from work at height are assessed and appropriate work equipment is selected and used
    4. The risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled
    5. Equipment for work at height is properly inspected and maintained.

     

    Health and Safety at work act 1974

    The Health and Safety at work act 1974 imposes general duties on every person involved in the design, construction and post construction use of any structure, as well as all workplaces.

    The Health and Safety at work act 1974 is an enabling act meaning it is the law and enables other regulations to be made and enforced under it. There is a considerable amount of legislation here which is in a state of constant update and change.

    The Health and Safety at work act 1974 states that it is the responsibility of the employer (or self employed person) to ensure, where practicable, the health, safety & welfare of all persons involved in the construction and use of a work place.

     

    The most relevant of the regulations under the Health and Safety at work act 1974 for the construction industry are:-

    1. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
    2. The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
    3. The Construction (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
    4. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
    5. The Personal Protective equipment (PPE) Regulations 2002
    6. The Work at Height Regulations 2005

     

    The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007

    As with the original 1994 legislation, the updated Regulations continue to place duties on all those who can contribute to the health and safety of a construction project i.e. clients, designers, contractors and planning supervisors, requiring the production of certain documents, the health and safety plan and the health and safety file.

     

    Specifically the designer's duties include the avoidance of risk to people:

    1. Carrying Out Construction Work
    2. Cleaning & Maintaining
    3. Using A Structure As A Place Of Work
    4. Demolition & Dismantling
    5. Others Who May Be Affected By The Above

     

    The main changes in the 2007 Regulations were made to simplify the existing system by unifying CDM and the Construction (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1996 into a single package. Additionally there is a more explicit duty on architects to eliminate hazards and reduce risks during the design stage as far as is reasonably practicable, plus there is a new duty to ensure that workplaces comply with Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations.

     

    The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

    These regulations came into force on the 29th December 1999 and set out broad general duties which apply to almost all work activities in Great Britain and offshore. They are aimed mainly at improving health and safety management, and lay down a more explicit requirement as outlined under the HSW Act 1974. Regulation 3 requires employers to assess the risks to health and safety so as to ensure that the necessary preventative and protective measures can be identified and regulation 4 requires that the employer ensures that the principles of prevention are applied.

     

    The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations 2002

    These regulations set out principles for selecting, providing, maintaining and using personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is defined as "all equipment which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his health and safety". This includes most types of protective clothing, and equipment such as eye, foot and head protection, safety harnesses, life jackets and high visibility clothing.

     

    The regulations require that "suitable" PPE is both suitable for the user and the risk against which it provides protection. PPE will only be considered suitable if:-

    1. It takes account of the risks and working conditions;
    2. It takes account of the workers needs and fits properly;
    3. It gives adequate protection;
    4. It is compatible with all other PPE being used.

     

    The regulations demand that the user and the employer (where different) are responsible for maintaining the PPE in a efficient state, according to the manufacturers regulations.

     

     

    Local Legilislation

     

    UK

    The Working at Height Regulations: 2005 have no minimum height requirements for work at height. They include all work activities where there is a need to control the risk of falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.

    The Construction [Design Management] Regulations: 2007 (CDM) places responsibility on the designer to ensure that any risks associated with postconstruction maintenance activities are clearly identified and appropriate steps taken to either design-out such risks or reduce them to acceptable levels.

    France

    Decree 65-48 of 8th January 1965, modified by decree 95-608 of16th May 1995: Stipulate that protection against falls must be provided when and work or movement exposes any worker to a fall of 3 metres or more.

    "Le Code du travail": Article L230-3 "General principles of prevention" Stipulate that the employer must take the necessary measures to ensure safety and to protect the health of the staff employed.

    Germany

    BGV C 22 (previously VBG 37) Requirements for safety and Health at Work, states precautions need to taken when working above 3m in height.

    Holland

    Arbowet artikel 5 (verplichting tot Risico Inventarisatie & Evaluatie) Arbobeleidsregels 3.16 (werkzaamheden boven de 2,5 meter)

    Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit artikel 2.29 (ontwerpers-bronbeleidstand der techniek)

    Arbobesluit voor de Bouw artikel 2.6 en 2.31 (verantwoording opdrachtgevers)

    Spain

    Royal Decree passed in Spain (2177/2004) in particular: 4.1.3 - Rope safety systems will be limited to situations in which the risk assessment shows that the work to be carried out can be done in a safe manner, plus that the use of a more secure system is not justifiable.

    4.1.4 - Where necessary, fall arrest systems will be installed.

    4.2.3 - Work carried out at heights of more than 3.5m from the ground, and which require actions which would risk the worker’s stability will only be carried out using personal fall arrest systems, or alternative fall arrest systems.

    Prevention of Labour Risk Law: 31/1995 and amendments to: 54/2003 It is the employers obligation to guarantee health and safety in the work place.

    Royal Decree 773/1997 Minimum health and safety requirements pertaining to the workers' use of personal protective equipment.

    Royal Decree 1215/1997 Minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment by workers.

    NTP 448 Work on light roofing materials.