Insulate Magazine Issue 12 - November 2017

The only independent insulation industry trade magazine
insulate columnist
Working at Height
Reality of the risk
Insulate Magazine columnist George Elliott, a technical specialist at science-based technology company 3M,
explains the need for having suitable fall protection in place when working at height, whether that is at one or 500 metres
Last year, the number of worker fatalities due to falls from height was the lowest on record. In 2016/17,
there were a recorded 25 fatal injuries, compared to 37 in 2015/16 and an annual average of 40 over
the past five years. While increasing risk awareness and enhanced safety measures have helped
towards this improvement, even the most careful and focused worker can still be subject to the kind of
danger that could change a life forever.
In particular, when working on contracts such as loft insulation
there are a number of hazards which could lead
to potentially life threatening falls. Before turning to personal
fall protection equipment, managers must consider
the hierarchy of controls to ensure that the hazard is not
avoidable.
Eliminating Risk
The preliminary stage is to try to eliminate any risk
altogether. This can involve looking at the design or
engineering solutions in order to avoid a need to work
at height in the first place. Of course, in many cases
this is not possible, so the next stage is to find ways of
preventing the fall from occurring. Here, there are two
main channels to explore; collective and personal fall
protection.
Collective protection includes equipment such as
temporary working structures and guardrails. For
prolonged contracts, a semi-permanent platform could
be used in the place of ladders as these fixtures have
required HSE standards.
All potential dangers should be strictly assessed by
means of a risk assessment before any construction work
begins. Further information to assist in this process can
be found on the HSE’s website, hse.gov.uk.
Individual Safety
Once the collective protection structure is deemed safe,
there is the matter of individual safety. When deciding on
the type of equipment to issue to their workforce,
managers should consider that just because equipment
is CE-marked, it does not mean it necessarily
provides the most suitable protection for any particular
job. CE-marking simply means that the minimum safety
requirement has been met.
For example, most harness equipment is tested against
the EN drop-test, using a weight of 100kg. An individual
may weigh more than this when fully kitted out with boots
and tools and so their harness may not be adequate.
In any case, a full risk assessment should determine
the most appropriate personal fall protection equipment
(PFPE). Companies should choose the best equipment
for each job, not simply supply equipment to demonstrate
compliance.
Aside from the risk of a fall, there is also the possibility of
objects dropping from above and causing injury. As stated
in The Work at Height Regulations 2005, measures
should be put in place to stop this from happening, but
also to protect workers should they be hit, particularly on
the head.
If - for reasons beyond control - measures to totally
prevent falls are not possible, then managers can look at
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