Whether you’re a roofer, window cleaner, builder, or are involved in another kind of trade or project that involves working at heights, there are some special considerations that both your employer and you need to note. These points go beyond staying safe by wearing a harness and a hard hat. You need to consider and implement some serious dos and don’ts to prevent fatalities and other serious incidents at work.
Every year, many companies are fined for breaching health and safety regulations. Watch the news and you’re bound to hear about it. Numerous reports are generated annually involving falls from working at heights and the resulting injuries to employees.
Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility
To be followed by employee and employers alike, there are rules and precautions to take that apply to everyone who works at heights. For all activities involving working at significant heights, employers must ensure that organization and planning have been done. It is their legal duty. Appropriate safety equipment must be provided, risk assessments must be carried out, and training must be implemented.
However, this doesn’t mean that employees are without responsibility. As employees, they must make their safety a priority and do their utmost to adhere to safety rules that have been implemented.
Dos and Don’ts for Working at Heights
Here are the don’ts:
- Don’t use a ladder for more than 30 minutes. Try to use them for light work and keep their usage to a short duration. They should not be used for heavy tasks.
- While you’re on a ladder, don’t overreach. While you are working or moving up and down the ladder, you should always have three points of contact on the ladder at all times – with either two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand on the ladder; otherwise, you’ll risk falling.
- Don’t rest ladders against plastic gutters or other weak upper surfaces.
- Check that products are loaded carefully and specifically. Don’t overload your ladder or your working space.
- Don’t let anyone inexperienced, untrained, or otherwise incompetent be at a significant height while working.
Dos:
- Always keep the weather conditions in mind.
- Always make sure there is safe access to a high workplace and be prepared for any emergency situations.
- For working at heights, be sure everyone you’re working with is competent and fully trained.
- Make sure all equipment you’re using is properly maintained and fit for its purpose. When working at heights, make sure the equipment you are using is the most suitable one.
- Whenever practical, if something can be done on the ground rather than at height, do the work on level ground.
- To support both your weight and the equipment, make sure the surface you’re working on is strong enough and stable. Take extra care if you’re working on fragile surfaces.
- To minimize falling risks, be sure adequate edge protection is in place.
- Guard against the danger of falling objects and wear the mandated PPE to protect yourself at all times.
We Provide Safe Options for Working at Heights
When you work with Starr Industries, you have access to reputable enclosure, custom platform, shoring, sidewalk shed, hoist, scaffolding, and other construction solutions. Our company is based in New York City and offers a vast array of services. Having served countless clients and worked on many projects in the industry, we have a great deal of experience. Highly trained scaffolders comprise our dedicated workforce. These individuals specialize in design, fabrication, modification, and installation services.
To meet the highest safety standards, we deliver quality solutions and proficiency to every client.
Contact us to find out more! We can be reached at 646-756-4648 or email us at office@starrindustriesllc.com. You can also fill out our convenient online form.
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