Work at height Policy

Transcription

1 Work at Policy Introduction This policy procedure outlines the Forces responsibility to provide guidance to all police officers and staff when working at. Many serious incidents involving working at occur in sectors of industry outside the construction industry, the most common include: using a ladder when a temporary working platform with guard rails or barriers would be more appropriate; not placing or fixing access equipment securely ; climbing with loads; overreaching or over balancing; slippery substances transferred onto access equipment (e.g. Mud); working from ladders balanced on other forms of access equipment e.g. scaffolds or trestles; placing access equipment on slippery floors; falls though fragile surfaces, while working in restricted light; or falls from roofs with unprotected edges. Aims The aims of the policy are to explain: how the rules apply to you; that it is your responsibility to report safety hazards; and that you must use the equipment supplied. Scope All police officers and police staff. Compliance Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Working at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) Chapter 1 Definitions Working at Working at, describes any workplace situation where a person could fall and injure themselves or others if the precautions required by the regulations were not taken. This includes working above or below ground level: using a ladder, stepladder or kick stool for filing, maintenance work, changing a light bulb, etc.; accessing lofts and roof spaces during searches; hatchways (trap doors, access hatches, etc. such as roof spaces, where someone could fall and injure themselves or others);

2 painting or erecting posters at ; climbing permanent structures (Gantries, Pylons etc.); working from the back of a vehicle or lorry (loading/offloading, inspecting loads, etc.); working over vertical ducts, lift shafts and manhole covers; and work on any form of elevated working platform, such as scaffolding, towers or a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP). In addition, the definition of working at includes any position where a person or persons could fall and hurt themselves. This covers not only potential falls from the normally elevated working positions, but also the risk of potential falls below ground level. Working platform The regulations state the definition of a working platform includes any: platform used as a place of work or as a means of access to or egress from a place of work; scaffold, mobile platform, trestle, gangway, gantry and stairway, which is so used. Fragile surface A fragile surface is any structure vertical, inclined or horizontal which would be liable to fail if any reasonably foreseeable loading were to be applied to it. This includes: glazing; roofing; ceilings; and skylights. Ladder Fixed or stepladders are pieces of equipment consisting of a series of bars or steps between two upright lengths of wood, metal or rope, used for climbing up or down something. Access and egress Access and egress includes ascent and descent. Access approach or enter; and Egress a way out, exit. Chapter 2 Legislation Introduction Under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, the Force has a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all employees while at work. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Force has a duty to undertake suitable and sufficient risk assessments, including those associated with working at.

3 More specific legislation was introduced with The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR), which came into force on 6 April 2005 (amended 2007). The WAHR s place duties on employers, the self-employed, and other person s that controls the work of others (Example, Facilities Management or building owners who may contract others to work at ). Employee undertaking There is a general requirement under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 for employees to comply with the safety measures put in place by their employers. The WAHR reinforce the requirements for employees to: co-operate with employers and others to ensure that work can be carried out safely; ensure that they understand the hazards in the workplace and comply with the safety rules and procedures; use any equipment supplied in accordance with the employer's instructions and training; not tamper with or modify the equipment; ensure that the employer is notified of any medical condition that may affect the safety of working at ; conduct themselves in a manner that does not endanger themselves or others (not act carelessly or recklessly); and report any defect or action that could lead to a dangerous occurrence. Chapter 3 Principles Organising and planning for work at The Force will ensure that any work at is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe, and that its planning includes the selection of work equipment in accordance with Regulation 7. The risk assessment and planning arrangements should take into account the effects that the weather can have on outdoor work at and not jeopardise the health or safety of persons involved in the work (except where members of the police, fire, ambulance or other emergency services are acting in an emergency). The overriding principle for work at is to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. Plan for emergencies If required a rescue plan must be in place before any work at starts.

4 and rescue This rescue plan should be reviewed and updated if there are any substantial changes to the work being carried out. The plan needs to take account of possible risks to rescuers. You should not assume that the emergency services will be able to carry out a rescue in all situations. Employees should be involved at all stages when planning any work at. Consulting employees will encourage them to be more aware of risks from work at and their duties under health and safety law. Competence West Yorkshire Police must ensure any person involved in working at, including the organising, planning or supervising of the activity are competent to do so. This can be a difficult area to assess, as competence is a combination of appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge in a work situation. The degree of competence for performing or supervising a particular task must be proportional to the complexity of the task and the associated risks. For example, a person assembling and erecting a tower or scaffold would need to have a higher level of competence than the person using it. Where training is undertaken for work at, this should be supervised by a competent person. A competent person should be capable of: undertaking the specified activity safely; understanding the potential risks related to the activity that they are to carry out; detecting and reporting any defects; recognizing any health and safety implications for themselves and others; identifying any remedial actions that may be required; and refusing to do a particular task if the potential risk is assessed as too great. Avoidance of risks from falls at The Force will ensure that work is not carried out at where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely by any other means. In identifying the measures required by this regulation, the Force must take account of the requirement to do risk assessments under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. The first priority is to remove wherever possible any hazard. If it is not possible to do so, then it is necessary to significantly reduce the

5 associated risks. The prescribed hierarchy for safe work at is: Stage Avoid Prevent Description the risk by not working at. Where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely other than at a, do so. a person falling. Where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid work at, you should assess the risks and take measures to allow the work to be done while preventing so far as is reasonably practicable people or objects falling. Mitigate This might include ensuring the work is carried out safely from an existing place of work or choosing the right work equipment to prevent falls. the consequences of a fall. Where the risk of people or objects falling still remains you should take steps to minimise the distance and consequences of such falls. This also involves the selection and use of work equipment and preventing those not involved with the work entering the hazardous area. Where work at is unavoidable, a risk assessment must be carried out to ensure that suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. If that is not possible steps must be taken to limit the distance and consequences of any potential fall. Admin Last reviewed: August 2014 Scheduled for review: August 2016