Health and Safety Executive

Health and Safety Executive

Safe working on or near

roofs

Summary

• Why

• The law

• In practice

• Ladders

• Golden rules

WHY

• Gravity kills

• More fatal accidents in construction caused by falls than anything else

• Two biggest classes of fatal falls – are domestic roof level repairs (7 off

ladders, 6 other causes)– through fragile roof (5 last year), even

more this)Numbers are provisional 2008/9 stats and typical

Fatal Accidents in construction (all causes)

Where Fatal accidents occurred 2008/09 - Fatal database 99/00 - 06/07 (615) 07/08 (72) 08/09p (53)

27%

22%

13%

10%

10%

4%

3%9%3%

6%

7%

7% 8% 7%

29% 26%

26%23%

10%11%

19%

2%

13%7%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Other/demolition

Civil Engineering

Roadworks

New build-industrial

New build-commercial

New build-housing

Refurb/Rep/Maint-domestic

Refurb/Rep/Maint-non domestic

Accident triangle

Fatals

Serious

Minor

The LawWork at Height Regulations 2005

• Apply to all work activities in all industries

• Apply to all at work by employees, employers or self employed

• Plan work

• Use the right equipment

• Use competent people

PREVENT FALLS, REDUCE INJURY

The Regulations Hierarchy

• AVOID work at height if you can

• PREVENT falls by using the proper gear, such as scaffolds or cherry pickers

• MINIMISE the chances of being hurt if you fall

Applies even to small, quick jobs

Doing nothing is dangerous and illegal

Planned/right equipment/competent?

Planned/right equipment/competent?

Risk Assessment

Examples of what to consider include:

• the work activity

• equipment to be used

• location of the work and any hazards

• working environment (weather, lighting)

• condition of existing work surfaces

• duration of the work

• physical capabilities of workers

Avoid work at height

Prevent Falls

• Use an existing or ‘safe’ place of work where no additional measures are required

• Use working platforms with guardrails or powered access platforms

• Use a work restraint system (preventing someone getting into a position from which he can fall)

MEWP

Collective Fall Prevention

Minimise the distance and consequences

• Collective control measures should always take priority over personal control measures.

• Collective measures e.g. airbags, nets etc. are usually passive and require no action by the user

• Personal protection measures e.g. fall arrest harnesses are ‘active’ and require the user to do clip on for them to work effectively

Minimise the risks using collective measures

Nets

Air bags

Select the right gear

Think about

• Where you are going to be working (ground conditions, space, public)

• How far you could fall and how likely you are to be injured

• How long will the job take and how often will it need to be done

• What you need to do to rescue someone should they fall

• Can the building or scaffold etc take the weight of the workforce and materials need for the job

• Is it the best piece of kit for the job

Select the right equipment

Select the right equipment

Use of ladders

Not banned but should only work from a ladder (including step ladder)

• when other equipment such as a tower scaffold is not suitable

• for light work that takes a few minutes

• of the correct type and in good condition

• placed on firm level ground and properly secured

• and set at the correct length and angle for the job

Appropriate use of ladders?

Use work equipment to prevent a fall

Other things to think about

• Prevent tools and materials falling– Throwing materials or debris (bombing) never

acceptable

• Warn employees about danger areas

• You need to make sure that equipment such as scaffolds are checked• After assembly or installation• At suitable intervals or after exceptional

circumstances• Scaffold and tower scaffold inspection in each

new position and then every 7 days• MEWP on site within previous 7 days

Fragile Roofs

• Sheet materials including asbestos cement or skylights– Will not support weight

• Walking the bolts not acceptable

• Work from underneath from a mewp wherever possible (special roof fixings available to allow this)

Golden rules

• Plan

• Choose right equipment to – Prevent falls – Reduce injury

• Competent workers

Don’t chance it