IRATA Safety Bulletin No. 45

Transcription

1 Page 1 f 7 A safety bulletin prepared by Internatinal (2017) SAFETY BULLETIN NO. 45: FALL FROM HEIGHT: AID CLIMBING A safety bulletin aimed at raising awareness f hazards in the rpe access industry. The text may be f use as part f a tlbx talk. DISCLAIMER: This safety bulletin - including, where given, any cnclusins - is nt as a result f any investigatin undertaken by. It is based n infrmatin prvided by a nn-member cmpany. des nt attribute any blame; nr prvide pinin n any rt causes. Neither is any pinin expressed r implied n liability r culpability. The fllwing summary is prvided t assist thers in applying any lessns learnt. Rpe access is defined in the ICOP, Part 1, 1.3, Definitins. In essence, it is a tw-rpe system (wrking line and safety line). Fr the purpses f this summary, any reference t n-rpe r ff-rpe shuld be cnstrued accrdingly. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This safety bulletin summarises the findings frm tw nn-fatal falls frm height which ccurred during the de-rigging f safety nets whilst using aid climbing techniques. The accidents tk place n tw different sites, with different specialist netting cntractrs. Nne f the cmpanies invlved were members. Nevertheless, bth technicians injured were -qualified. 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2.1 Date f incidents: June and July Injured persns: In bth cases, -qualified Level 3 rpe access technicians. 3 WHAT WENT WRONG 3.1 Task being perfrmed when the incident ccurred: In the first accident, a rpe access perative frm a specialist netting cntractr - emplyed by a prfiled metal decking sub-cntractr in turn emplyed by a steelwrk cntractr wrking fr a main cntractr - was de-rigging safety nets when he fell frm height In the secnd accident, the rpe access perative wh fell was als de-rigging safety nets. The cntractual chain was similar, althugh the rpe access cntractr was emplyed by a specialist netting cntractr Bth accidents were very similar and resulted in a fall f apprximately 8 metres when beam gliders, being used as anchr devices, came ff the bttm flange as a result f an pen end. 3.2 Detail: The safety nets had been installed t prvide cllective prtectin fr the installatin f the prfiled metal decking (permanent frmwrk) used t cnstruct the cmpsite steelcncrete flr slab In rder t de-rig the safety nets rpe access techniques had been selected.

2 Page 2 f A rpe access team, cmprising tw technicians, used aid climbing techniques t traverse the bttm flange f the steel beams and release any safety net anchrs ( claws ) secured t the bttm flange In bth cases, the -qualified Level 3 technician used three beam gliders (smetimes referred t as dver clamps ) as anchr devices. These were adjusted t fit the bttm flange. The beam was traversed prgressively with a minimum f tw pints f suspensin maintained at all times First accident: When the end f a beam was reached it was necessary fr the technician t repsitin themselves n the ther side f the steelwrk cnnectin, s that de-rigging culd cntinue. In rder t d this, and t attach their third beam glider t the bttm flange in the adjacent span, he needed t lean acrss and release the first safety net anchr. This invlved grabbing the rigged safety net - which had sme tensin in it - and pulling it twards him. Pht 1: First accident: Lk upwards at the area t be de-rigged (left) and the area that had just been de-rigged. NOTE: The width f the bttm flange reduces frm 200mm wide (right) t 150mm wide (left). The depths f the beams were als different There was a gap between the bttm flange f the beam and the flange f its cnnecting clumn. This dimensin was such that it did nt prevent the wheels n the beam glider passing thrugh it. Thus, this resulted in the technician falling frm height when lsing bth his primary supprt and back-up when the beam gliders were pulled ff and/r fell ff the pen end f the bttm flange (see Pht 2).

3 Page 3 f 7 Pht 2: First accident: Beam glider at pen end f beam (37mm wide gap) [Recnstructin] It appears that the equal and ppsite hrizntal reactin had nt been recgnised; and the directin f lading was n lnger purely vertical Secnd accident: The technician, using three beam gliders, was travelling alng the steel beam and did nt identify an pen-ended bttm flange, where tw beams met. He pulled himself past this gap, which resulted in the primary and back-up supprt being lst and a fall ccurring. Pht 3: The lcatin f the fall in ne f the incidents

4 Page 4 f Actin(s) taken immediately fllwing the accidents: After the first incident a rpe access permit t wrk was intrduced. This required a wrk area hazard check as well as a specific task assessment briefing. A review f all designs will be cnducted and, where the distance frm the flr t the underside f the steelwrk is greater than 4 metres, i.e. beynd the capabilities f a remte attachment device (smetimes knwn as a reach ple ), a hle will be drilled t ne side f the bttm flange t allw a blted cleat r a mbile anchr (smetimes knwn as a man lck ) t be installed befre the beam is lifted int psitin. 4 PRIMARY AND CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS 4.1 Primary causes f the incident: The primary causes identified were: (c) pen ended bttm flange detail due t specificatin f differing member sizes; the ptential fr an equal and ppsite hrizntal reactin had nt been recgnised; in the secnd case, the wrk was taking place in an area away frm that planned as the riginal area was nt available. 4.2 Other cntributry factrs: Other cntributry factrs included: (c) (d) (e) 4.3 Other issues The steelwrk cnnectin had nt been detailed with an end plate r stp (fr example); When planning and briefing the task the Level 3 technicians did nt recgnise (frm either the plans r site bservatin), that there was an pen end; When suspended beneath the beam the technicians did nt bserve that they might lse bth their primary and secndary supprt whilst wrking clse t an pen end; The technicians had n specific training in the use f beam gliders. NOTES: 1. The use f beam gliders is nt cvered within the syllabus. 2. In the UK, FASET run an industry-specific qualificatin fr specialist net rigging ( In ne instance, anther frm f access t de-rig the nets was available and access belw culd have been gained via a mbile elevating wrk platfrm (MEWP). This was the chsen methd and the reasn n plan fr rpe access was made. NOTE: A gd practice guide has been published by FASET t assist in the selectin f the mst apprpriate methd fr the rigging and de-rigging f safety nets Particular cnsideratin needs t be given t the methd(s) f rescue adpted during aid climbing. In ne instance the rescue rpe was carried by the Level 3 technician wh fell, leaving his relatively inexperienced Level 1 clleague t retreat unsupervised t a safe place. 1 The selectin f access methds t install and dismantle safety netting, (FASET)

5 Page 5 f 7 5 CORRECTIVE ACTIONS 5.1 Steps that wuld have prevented this incident frm ccurring in the first place: Steps identified were: designing the steelwrk in such a way as t eliminate r substantially reduce pen ends r cut uts; r if these are necessary; intrducing cleats r man lcks, fr example, that wuld prevent a beam glider leaving the steelwrk (see 3.4); (c) (d) cnsidering the use f lcking beam gliders which can be clamped t prevent unplanned mvement; ensuring a thrugh pre-start check is carried ut t identify any pen-ended steelwrk frm the grund befre gaining access at height. 6 COMMENT 6.1 It is an emplyer s duty t ensure that any wrker is cmpetent t undertake the task(s) that they are required t undertake. This may mean having t undertake additinal training whether internal r external - ver and abut any qualificatin. 6.2 In terms f anchrs, the ICOP states: The anchr system is f primary imprtance in the rpe access system and shuld be unquestinably reliable (Clause ). 6.3 The term unquestinably reliable is nt purely a reference t an anchr s strength requirement but incudes suitability, i.e. is it fit fr purpse. 6.4 The ICOP als states: It is essential that great care is taken when selecting anchr devices that they are apprpriate t the situatin in which they are fitted r t be fitted and used, e.g. that they are the crrect type f anchr device fr the given situatin and that they are psitined and fitted crrectly. It is als essential that anchr devices are fitted, tested, inspected and used by cmpetent persns and strictly in accrdance with manufacturer s instructins (Clause ). 6.5 Finally, the ICOP discusses beam clamps. Annex F, Safety cnsideratins when installing r placing anchr devices fr use in rpe access, states: Beam clamps shuld be securely clamped t the I-beam befre use (Annex F, 3.9.3). 7 FURTHER INFORMATION 7.1 Further infrmatin can be fund in: Internatinal cde f practice fr industrial rpe access (Third editin) 2 : 2

6 Page 6 f 7 Part 2, Anchrs Part 2, , The anchr system (anchrs and anchr lines) Part 3, Annex F (infrmative), Safety cnsideratins when installing r placing anchr devices fr use in rpe access Part 3, Annex L: Other harness-based wrk at height access methds 7.2 Fr a list f current (and past) safety cmmunicatins by, see 8 RECORD FORM 8.1 An example Safety and Health Tpic Sheet: Recrd Frm is given belw. Members may have their wn prcedure(s) fr recrding briefings t technicians and thers.

7 Page 7 f 7 SAFETY BULLETIN RECORD FORM Site: Date: Tpic(s) fr discussin: : Fall frm height: Aid climbing Reasn fr talk: Start time: Finish time: Attended by Please sign t verify understanding f briefing Print name: Signature: Cntinue verleaf (where necessary) Matters raised by emplyees: Actin taken as a result: Cntinue verleaf (where necessary) Briefing leader I cnfirm I have delivered this briefing and have questined thse attending n the tpic discussed. Print name: Signature: Date: Cmments: