Page 273 - IGC BOOK

8.2 Working at Height

Definition

‘Work at height’ means work in any place at or below ground level, were if no precautions

in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury, for example While
working at height

• a fall through a fragile roof.
• fall while working on ladder or fragile surface.

• Could fall into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground.

Work at height remains one of the major causes for fatalities or serious injuries leading to
permanent disability. This is the largest cause of deaths in construction industry.

Types of work that are classified as work at height

• working on a scaffold or from a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP).
• working on a truck while securing or sheeting a load.
• using cradles or ropes to gain access to parts of a building,
• climbing permanent structures, such as gantries, masts, or telephone poles.
• working close to an excavation area or a cellar opening
• painting, pasting or erecting bill posters at height.
• demolition work carried out in a multi-storey building.

The main risk associated with work at height are:

• Falling from height
• Falling of object

The severity of fall from height may result in

• Permanent disability
• Multiple fractures

• Broken bones and spine damage
• Head injury

• Fatal

Falling of objects also causes severe injuries alike as discussed above.

ENSIGN | General Workplace Issues 6