Working at Height

JSW - WAH Standard Training

15 to 18 Nov 2021

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 Introduction

•Welcome
•Introductions
•Emergency Alarms & Exits
•Safety Contact
•Administration & Agenda
•Objectives

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 Administration
 Timings

 Kick off Meet 10:00 to 10:30 hrs

First Session 10:30 to 12:00 hrs
Tea 12:00 to 12:15
hrs
Second Session 12.15 to 13:45 hrs
Lunch 13:45 to 14:45 hrs
Third Session 14:45 to 16:15 hrs
Tea 16:15 to 16:30 hrs
Fourth Session 16:30 to 18:00 hrs
Wrap up & Action Plan

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Ground Rules
 Maintain social distance as much as
possible
 Wear the Mask
 Proactive Approach towards Safety
 Participation by all
 One conversation at a time
 Mobile phones “OFF” or on “vibrate
mode”
 Keep all mobiles at common place
 No E-mails
 Any other ground rules?
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Safety Contact …..

Safety Contact

Any
volunteers?

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 Behavioural Excellence

“We are what we repeatedly do.

Consequently, excellence is not an
‘event’,
it is a habit!”Aristotle
ca. 350 BCE

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Safety Contact

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Three Points Contact

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Objectives
This module will outline:

• What constitutes “Working at Height”?.

• What are the Hazards and Risks of “Working

at Height”?.

• What are the Mandatory Requirement of

“Working at Height”?.

• What are the essential safeguards?.

• Auditing “Working at Height” worksite.
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Important
The following standards/procedures shall be referred to
and complied with as appropriate while undertaking
“Work at Height”.
 Confined Space Entry Standard
 Shoring and Sloping for Excavation Standard
 Scaffolding Safety Standard
 Safety Belt and Fall Protection Systems
 Head Protection Standard
“Permit To Work” Procedures

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 What do the Statistics Show

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 Falls in Industry
• Falls are the leading cause of deaths in the industry –
particularly during construction and maintenance.

• Most fatalities occur when employees fall from open-

sided floors and through floor openings.

• Falls from as little as 1.2 to 1.8 meter can cause serious

injuries and sometimes even death.

• Open-sided floors and platforms 1.8 meter or more in

height must be guarded.

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 Occupational Fatalities
• Falls from height are the second leading cause of occupational
fatalities, behind only traffic-related fatalities, and account for
~700 occupational fatalities annually in the U.S.

• The number of such fatalities has continued to rise during the

past decade, while most work-related injuries are declining in
number.

• Falls from height accounted for 288,500 (6%) of the 4,700,600

OSHA-recordable mishaps occurring in 2001 and 2002. In 2006,
falls accounted for 234,450 (20%) of 1,183,500 non-fatal
mishaps in private industry.

• In England fall-related mishaps, rather than traffic-related

accidents are the leading cause of occupational fatalities.

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Principles & Mandatory Requirements

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 Definitions
• Working at Height • Anchor Point
• Attendant • Life Line
• Authorized entrant • Retractable Lifeline
• Work permit • Rope Grab
• Work Supervisor (Permit Issuer) • Continuous Tie-Off
• Full Body Harness • Working from a Ladder
• Lanyard • Qualified Installer
• Double Lanyard • Qualified Inspector
• Shock Absorber
• Double Action Locking Snap Hook WAH Definitions

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What constitutes Working at Height?
JSW Standard defines Working at Height as:
Working on elevated working positions higher than 1.8 m
where the risk of a fall from height exists and where there is
no physical protection such as handrails.
Types of work covered include working from all types of
ladders, scaffolds, mechanical lifts, inside confined spaces,
sloped roofs, areas where there are no overhead tie-off points,
when working within 6 feet of the edge of a flat roof, erecting
steel or installing/ replacing roofing and in pipe racks.
This does not include normal work on low stepladders, loading
platforms with fixed handrails, or similar locations.

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Working at Height - Examples
Flat roofs, slopping roofs, fragile roof
Structure erection/ special structure
Working on pipe racks and cable trays,
Working on flat and sloping tank roofs,
Working on tall structures like lighting towers, chimneys,
incinerators, cooling towers etc.
Insulation and painting work at height
Confined space work at Height
Loading and Unloading of Tankers
Working near Excavations
Working on Bucket Trucks and Man lifts
Painting work outside the building

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High Risk Activities: Project and
Maintenance Works & WAH

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Loading and Unloading of Tar at Coke
Plant
(Work at Height Activities)

BEFORE AFTER

AFTER
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 Principles of Working at Height
Wherever there is a possibility of a fall that could result in injury, good
judgment is necessary to ensure that adequate and proper protection is
worn when required. The following are some typical examples,
illustrating where a full safety body harness should be used:

- Elevated working positions where the risk of a fall exists and where
there is no physical protection such as handrails. This does not
include normal work on low stepladders, loading platforms with
fixed handrails, or similar locations.

- Working near unprotected roof edges or on sloping roofs.

- Working on open steel, form work, piping, or equipment.

- Working from straight ladders when both hands are needed for work.

- Working on incomplete scaffolds, suspended stage or other type of

suspended scaffolding.
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Mandatory Requirements for Working at
Height
Working at Height requirements are listed in sec. 6.1 of the
Standard. Some of these are:

• For all tasks/activities which require working at locations where

exists a risk of fall of > 1.8 m, a work permit must be issued.
• Full body harness with double lanyard shall be worn when work
requires persons closer than 1.8 meter from roof edge without
parapets, or floor opening.
• Employees or contractors working on unguarded surfaces, steep
slopes and similar locations; temporary platform, during scaffold
construction; or when otherwise exposed to the possibility of falls
hazardous to life or limb, shall be secured by full body harness
with double lanyard.

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Mandatory Requirements for Working at
Height (contd.)
• Make shift arrangements viz., drums, barrels; chairs, etc. shall not
be used as work platform to work at height.

•The following hierarchy of control should be applied (in the order of

preference) when there is a need to work at heights:
- Eliminate the fall hazards.
- Reduce the risks to an acceptable level.
- Use required fall protection/arrest equipment.

• Ladders shall not be used as work platforms.

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Mandatory Requirements for Working at
Height (contd.)
o If working from a step ladder, with your feet less than 1.8 meter
above the floor, use of fall protection equipment is not required,

unless working backwards, then fall protection is required.

o If working on a stepladder with your feet 1.8 meter or higher

above the floor, fall protection equipment shall be used. If no
tie-off point is
available, the ladder shall be held by a second person to
provide
added stability.

o Ladder shall not be used for jobs where leaning over ladder is
required.

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Group Discussion
Discuss in your table group example of WAH in your
respective work areas. Do you see any issues in
current practices?

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Fall Protection Standard and Guideline

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Requirement for Work at Height
 Identification of hazards and risk assessment
 Planning and preparation
 Protective equipment
 Execution
 Training and certification
 Inspections
 Special requirements

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Hierarchy of Fall Protection

Three levels of fall protection/prevention

• Eliminate fall hazard/exposure

• Reduce Risk to an acceptable level
• Use proper fall protection/arrest equipment

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LEVEL 1: Eliminate Fall Hazard/Exposure
Determine:
 What work activity presents the risk?
 Who will be at risk for a fall exposure?
 When will the fall exposure present itself?
 Where can the fall exposure occur?
 Why is there a chance for a fall?
 How can the fall occur?
 How much distance will the potential fall be?

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LEVEL 2: Reduce Risk to an acceptable
Level
 Assess the workplace

 Use protective measures

 Develop a fall protection plan

 Use design guidelines

 use of well designed and engineered fixed platforms,

ladders etc. or alternatively, through use of a well
designed scaffold, as necessary

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LEVEL 3: Use Proper Fall-Protection
Equipment

Use Fall Protection Equipment only after determining

that potential falls cannot be eliminated by changing
work procedures or the workplace.

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Fall Protection - What Does It Mean
Wherever there is a possibility of a fall that could result in
injury, proper protection is required and must be used to
prevent injury due to fall.

“Fall protection” means either guard rails on elevated work

surfaces or personal fall protection equipment worn by
employees.

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Where do we need Fall Protection
Fall protection of some type is required when employees work
at a height of ≥ 1.8 meter.

Is Fall protection required

only at elevated surfaces?

NO

Trenching and excavation

work – requires guardrails
where walkways are 1.8
or more meter above lower
levels.
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Fall Protection – General Requirements
 No person shall be exposed to a fall of 1.8 mtr. or more
without proper protection.
 Protection systems include guardrail, safety net, and personal
fall arrest.
 Guardrail must meet the specifications listed in the standard
and procedure.
 Personal fall arrest – waist belt no longer permitted,
anchorage must withstand force of 2300Kg per employee
attached, double lanyard required for 100% tie-off.
 Anchorage points require planning.
 Warning lines must be 1.8 mtr. from edge of opening/roof.

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General Requirement (contd.)
Open-sided floors
and platforms
≥1.3 meters
above adjacent
floor or ground
level must be
guarded by a
railing (except
where there is an
entrance to a
ramp, stairway or
fixed ladder).

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Group Discussion
Discuss in your table group how can you implement
the Hierarchy of Fall Protection by giving examples
from your own experience

Eliminate fall hazard/exposure

Reduce Risk to an acceptable level
Use proper fall protection/arrest equipment

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Hazards, Risks and Safeguards
of
Working at Height

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Major Hazard and Risk of
Working at Height
It is mandatory to conduct risk assessment of all
tasks/activities which involve working at height.

Major hazard (and perhaps the key one which needs to be

addressed normally) associated with working at height is
“Height” itself, and

The key risk is “Fall from Height”.

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Definitions
HAZARD
Anything that has the potential to cause harm.

RISK
The likelihood that someone will be harmed.

Control Measures
The protective and preventive measures, including the safe
systems of work, that are put in place as a result of a Risk
Assessment to either eliminate a hazard, or control the risk, to
acceptable levels.

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Risk Assessment – JSA & HIRA
“A systematic and
structured process
whereby hazards
present in a
workplace, or
arising from
workplace activity,
are identified, risks
evaluated, and
decisions prioritised
in order to reduce
risks to acceptable
levels.”
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Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment
 Conduct risk assessments to identify the risks if there is a
reasonable potential for a fall
– Combine comparable tasks (e.g. use of ladders)
– Assess regularly performed tasks in detail once
 Document the results of the risk assessment
– Findings of risk assessments should be documented
– Some companies are using databases for the purpose
– A permit system for high risk tasks can be used to document
high risk activities
 Use “short risk assessment” tools to address the risk of daily or
regularly performed tasks

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Group Discussion
Discuss in your table group an example of Risk
Assessment (JSA or HIRA) for WAH in your area

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 Fall Protection Planning
 Plan, organize, and train all Work at
Height tasks properly

 Take findings of risk assessment into

account

 Establish general emergency and

rescue plans
Consider the specific risk of
suspension trauma if work with fall
arrest equipment
(see PPE – training slides)
 If applicable take weather conditions
into account

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“Work at Height“ – Permit
 A work permit system is capable to document Work at Height
activities with an increased risk (depending on risk assessment
results)

 The work permit system will ensure

only trained and physically fit persons will conduct Work at
Height
all identified preconditions are followed

 The work permit system will increase legal certainty

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Fall Protection - Training
 The employer shall provide a training program for
each employee who might be exposed to fall
hazards.

It is the responsibility of Plant HOD to see that all

concerned in the plant are trained in work at Height
Standard and Procedure.

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Special Requirement
 Work at Height over water
 Adverse weather condition
 Work at height during night
 Radiography work at height
 Man basket/man lift operations
 Fragile, sloping roof
 Structure Erection/working on structures
 Pipe racks and cable trays, tank roofs and lighting towers
 Insulation and painting works at height
 Confined Space at height WAH-Special
Requirements
 Loading and unloading of materials
 Special hazards: honey bees, birds etc.
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 Fall Protection Equipment

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 Fall Protection Equipment

Personal Fall
Arrest System Guardrails Safety Net
(PFAS)
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Fall Protection Equipment
Floor, roof and working surface openings
Any skylight, opening or hole greater than 12 inches wide must
either be covered with a cover that will support at least 200
pounds, or guarded by a railing.

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Fall Protection Equipment

Safety Harness:
Safety harness is normally made of
fiber and is used to retain a person in
a hazardous work position and to
reduce the probability of falls.

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 Full Body Harness

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 User must be trained how to properly use PFAS.
PFAS = anchorage, lifeline and body harness.

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Lanyard
Lanyards:
A lanyard is a flexible line to secure a wearer of a safety belt or
harness to a drop line
Caution:
A knot will reduce the strength of a rope lanyard by 50 percent.

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Lanyard

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 Life Line
Life line:
A flexible line from a fixed anchorage or between two fixed
anchorages to which the lanyard or belt is required.

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 Vertical Lifeline with Rope
Grab

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 Swing falls – pendulum effect
 Swing falls occur when the anchorage point is not directly above the
point where a fall occurs.
 The farther you move sideways from your anchor point, the greater the
chance of swinging if you fall. This is known as the "pendulum effect."
 The force of striking an object or the ground in a swing fall may cause
serious injury.
 Swinging may even cause your lanyard or lifeline to break where it runs
over rough or sharp edges.

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Horizontal Life Line

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Safety Line Anchorages

Must be independent of any

platform anchorage and capable of
supporting at least 2300Kg. per
worker

A 100 kg worker free falling 1.0 meters

generates an impact force of approximately
1200 kg

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Safety Line Anchorages

Anchorage:
Anchorage is a secure point of attachment,
Not part of the work surfaces to which drop
lines, lifelines or lanyards are fixed.

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 Examples of inadequate
Anchorage

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 Guardrails

Top Rail

Mid- Rail

Toe-board

Top rails minimum 1050 mm tall. Toe-boards at least 150 mm

high

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Walkways and Ramps

Guard ramps, runways, and other walkways

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 Safety Nets

Place as close as possible, but no more than 6

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below where
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Committee Meeting work
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Group Discussion
Discuss in your table group current fall protection
equipment used in your work area: What
improvement do you see is required?

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Fall Protection-Control Measures

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 Sides & Edges - Improper Guarding

This 1/4" nylon rope alone is not a proper way to

guard this open floor, hard barricade must be used
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Unprotected Sides & Edges

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Concrete Forms and Rebar

Use PFAS when working on formwork or

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 Sky Lights and Other Openings

This opening could be made safe by using a guardrail,

or strong cover. Holes more than 6 feet high must be
protect
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 Floor Holes

Improperly Covered opening

If no cover, can guard with a guardrail or cover completely and securely

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SCAFFOLDING

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 Potential Problems
• Inadequate construction / quality of materials (ladder,
• decking, guard rails, toe-boards)

• Design problems (not designed to carry the desired load.)

• Unsuitable foundations

• Unauthorised modifications

• Risk of falling while constructing the scaffold.

• Adverse weather conditions

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Control Measures
• Training and Qualifications of Scaffolders
• Scaffold designed to be fit for purpose.

• Routine inspections

• The Inspection Tag

• Fall Protection for Scaffolders

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 Scaffold Safety
GENERAL SCAFFOLD SAFETY
SECURE BAR

DO NOT LEAN OVER.

Secure bar must be at chest

height.

X
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Mobile Platforms

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Potential Problems
• Overloading of basket with people or materials.
• Platform unstable when the boom is raised or extended.

• Fall potential for people and materials.

• Moving over uneven ground.

• Working near other hazards (e.g. overhead electric lines).

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Control Measures
Training / authorised personnel to operate.

Always use as per manufacturers guidelines.

Use on firm, level ground.

Use outriggers if appropriate.

Wear fall protection PPE.

Isolate nearby hazards – specify safe separation

distances.

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 Movable Scaffold - Basic Requirements

Swing gate

Access ladder

Wheel stopper

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Mobile Scaffold Safety

Engage stopper when

ladder is stationary.

Check wheel
condition

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 Mobile Scaffold Safety

MIS - USE OVERLOADING

X
DO NOT RIDE DO NOT OVERLOAD the
on the ladder. platform beyond its designated
weight.
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 Ladders, Steps and Stairs

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Potential Problems
Over-reaching

Wrong choice of ladder

Damage to ladder

Unsecured

Working without the ‘Three Points of Contact’.

Standing on the top of a stepladder.

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Cable Tray i.p.o. Ladder, over reaching

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High Risk Activities: Work at Height
Improvement

Unsafe Ladder Access BF4 Office Renovation done with poor safety
precautions
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 Control Measures
The ladder should be angled to minimise the risk of
slipping (as a rule of thumb needs to be ‘one out for every four up’)

Ladders should be in good condition and examined

regularly for defects.

They should be secured so they cannot slip, usually by

tying them at the top or footing them.

Access ladders should extend about 1 m above the

working platform.
Work from the ground if at all possible.

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Ladders
Ladders shall not be used as work
platforms or scaffolds or as
structured members of scaffolds
or walkways.
Work from portable and extension ladders
above 1.8 mtrs height from the
working/walking surface will require the
use of personal fall arrest equipment.
Never carry anything in hand while
climbing up or down on a ladder.
Always ensure three-point contact

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Electrical Hazards

 Insulated ladders or wooden ladders to be used for

working on electrical equipment
 Portable metal ladders and wooden ladders with metal
reinforcements shall be used only during de-energized
conditions. Effective supervision shall be provided if
there is any proximate hazard of touching live electrical
wire or equipment is present.
 No metal ladders or wooden ladders with metal
reinforcements should be stored inside the electrical
switch-yards

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Working on Roof

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Potential Problems

Means of access / egress

Potential of fall from the roof

Fragile roofs

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Proper Access to the roof is required

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Control Measures
Does the job NEED to be done at all?

Use an ‘expert’ rather than “do-it-yourself”.

Suitably secure access and egress.

Protection at the edges of the roof

Working platform / Roof ladder

Fall arrest equipment

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Good Work Practices

• Perform work at ground level if possible

Example: building prefab roofs on the ground and lifting
into place with a crane
• Tether or restrain workers so they can‘t reach the edge

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Fall Protection-Exception

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Some exceptions
As was mentioned earlier, there are some exceptions to
the “1.8 meter rule.” The next few slides will go over
those exceptions.

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Some exceptions
There are some instances in which fall protection is always
required, no matter what the fall distance is.

For example, regardless of height, all open-sided floors, walkways,

platforms, or runways above or adjacent to dangerous equipment,
pickling or galvanizing tanks, degreasing units, or similar hazardous
equipment, must be guarded with a standard railing and toe board.

This is true in general industry as well as in the construction

industry, except for leading edge work, roofing work and work on
structural members that do not meet the definition of a
walking/working surface.

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Some exceptions
Workers doing tree-trimming – each employee must be
tied in with a climbing rope and safety saddle when the
employee is working above the ground in a tree, unless he
or she is ascending into the tree.

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Some exceptions

Order pickers – must be

equipped with either standard
guardrails on all sides or a
safety harness and lanyard that
are connected to a tie off point
that has been approved by the
manufacturer.

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Audits and Inspections

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Inspections of PPE (in short)

Visual control – by the user – before working

 Textile – beware of cuts and wears by frictions or abrasions
 Seams – beware of cut or torn wire
 Metal parts – beware of corrosions and correct operation

It is strictly forbidden to:

 use damaged fall arrest material
 Repair fall arrest material

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Inspections of
PPE
 D- Ring deformed
Broken wire fibers 

 Fiber material
damaged
Damaged self-
retracting line 

¬ PPE dirty
Damaged
karabiner 

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Procedure Compliance
A three members audit committee comprising representatives from
S&F, plant/area, shall do periodic audit of working at height as a part of
procedure compliance.
WAH Audit Check
List

Full body Harness must be inspected before it is worn by the persons

working at Height. Lanyards must also be inspected.

Fullbody Harness
Checklist

Ladders must be inspected.

Checklist for
Ladder

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IN CONCLUSION...

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What Have We Learned?

Falls from height is a common cause of serious

injury

If we select the right control measures and fall

protection equipment it can be
done safely both at work and home.

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 THANK YOU!

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