October 2019

Height Safety
NEW HEIGHTS FOR DESIGN & SAFETY
While everyone understands the dangers of working at height, not everybody is familiar with
the challenges or solutions on offer. Understanding how protection works and what’s best
for each situation can improve the safety of workers, the aesthetics of the building, and the
efficiency of the build. Below, James Gooder of SFS explains how.
Most architects and construction
contractors commit people to working at
height – either during the building
phase, or in maintenance and repair. An essential
part of any building project, it’s also fraught with
risk – from exposed edges and damaged tiles,
through to open lift-shafts and fragile skylights to
potentially fall through. Then there’s worker
fatigue and the weather with high winds, rain and
ice presenting particular challenges.
Add in slippery algae and moss, plus the sheer
range of roof coverings, types and designs and
it’s clear that there’s an issue. Roofing
specifiers and contractors are sending out
people to work at height with
countless variables, where any
slip, trip or fall could have
disastrous consequences.
Clearly, with human
life at stake,
there is a large
amount of legislation in place to protect workers.
In addition to the Working at Height Regulations
2005, the 2015 CDM (Construction Design and
Management) regulations stipulate that any new
building which has guttering that needs servicing
must have a protective lifeline system installed.
CDM has also established RAMS – Risk
Assessment Method Statements. RAMS are
designed to ensure that health and safety risks
are fully considered and identified in order to
‘reduce the risk of those who build, maintain or
use structures’. Generally, best practice advice
says avoid working at height if at all possible.
If not, measures must be installed to
minimise risk.
Already quite stringent – in the
UK at least – regulations will
only become tighter. Right
now, a new standard,
BS EN 17235, is
being drafted
to co-ordinate the efforts of companies that
manufacture systems for roofing and safety
systems, so there’s a concerted industry-wide
effort to improve safety standards. Anyone
involved with working at height therefore has a
responsibility – moral and legal – to stop people
from coming to harm.
Despite this, specifying the optimum fall
protection systems isn’t always front of mind.
Many architects, for example, are primarily
focussed on aesthetics and using new materials
to push the boundaries of design. While they’re
aware of the need for protective systems, the
detail often isn’t specified out and is left to the
contractor’s discretion.
However, faced with multiple pressures –
including an increasing skills shortage and the
complexity of project management – these
contractors are often unable to keep abreast of
the many specialist solutions on offer. As a result,
there’s a potential for provision to fall short of
optimal.
Fall protection – knowing your type
Essentially, fall protection systems divide into
temporary or permanent.
Installed for repairs and removed when the work
is completed, temporary protection includes
scaffolding, cranes and mobile platforms. Often
costly and unsightly – as the scaffolding currently
covering Big Ben demonstrates – they can also
potentially damage the roof or structure.
Temporary solutions are often the only option for
older buildings.
On the other hand, new builds tend to incorporate
a permanent system which can be used to
56 TC OCTOBER 2019