Key Training Requirements for Professionals Who Work at Heights

There are various industries and lines of work that can be defined as risky, and those professions that involve working at height are at the biggest risk from all kinds of accidents and injuries, that can unfortunately, be at times, even fatal.

Work at height refers to working at a location that's considered dangerous and if no one takes any preventative measure to ensure it is secured and protected, a person could easily be injured and may even lose their life.

It cannot be stressed enough how hazardous these work environments can be, hence it’s pivotal for every employer to do whatever they can to make sure their employees do not injure themselves in any way.

Those who resort to proper and effective training will undoubtedly accomplish this and if you would generally like to know how height training can be beneficial for your workforce, then stay tuned to further delve into this topic.

Falls From Height As The Biggest Danger

Sadly, falls from height are one of the biggest causes of serious accidents and death and that’s because anyone who is elevated above the ground is putting themselves in a very risky situation.

It doesn’t matter whether you are on a ladder, scaffold, or anywhere else, the risks that are involved in these circumstances are undoubtedly huge. So is there anything that can be done to mitigate them?

Luckily, there is! Most companies that are exposed to these sorts of dangers make use of Personal Fall Arrest Systems, which usually include an anchorage point, body harness, and a connecting device, such as a lifeline and/or lanyard. 

Its main purpose is to drastically decrease the likelihood of any accident or injury. In addition, make sure that the anchorage points are able to support at least 5,000 pounds per person who’s attached. 

Besides that, you should also inspect lanyards and harnesses, from time to time, just to be certain they aren’t damaged in any way. Another thing that you can resort to is fall protection equipment, such as guardrails, safety nets, and harnesses. 

When it comes to guardrails, they should be situated on every side of the scaffolds and platforms and be at least forty-two inches high. Safety nets, on the other hand, should be employed in areas where you cannot leverage guardrails and/or scaffolds. You should put them near or below the working surface so they can easily catch falling people or things.

A Training Is A Must!

As stated in the beginning, work at heights poses inherent challenges and risks for the workers, hence they need to be provided with specific training that’s going to help them alleviate these things. After all, working safely at heights should be everyone’s number one priority and that’s precisely what they’ll get with this type of training. Now, the question is, is it really that useful and effective?

According to the ones who have gone through it before, it most certainly is. One of its aims is to raise awareness concerning potential accidents among employees, helping them identify any risks and hazards on time.

Furthermore, heights safety trainings are designed to provide the workforce with extensive knowledge and skills they can make use of whenever they work above the ground, and, at the same time, reduce the risk of injuries and accidents on site.

You Also Need To Properly Evaluate The Risk 

Before you allocate the tasks to your workers (referring to the ones that include work at height), you should first properly evaluate the risks that are involved and that may result in various hazardous incidents.

Moreover, you should take a couple of factors into account, such as the duration of a particular project, along with its nature, location, environmental factors, materials and tools that you’ll be utilizing, and the skills and experience your employees have.

Aside from that, it wouldn’t hurt if you talked to your team members so that you could uncover and minimize anything that may potentially be detrimental to all of you. Based on this evaluation, you should pick the safest strategy (regarding assessing) and work platform for the job.

Nowhere Without The Right Equipment

Every business, regardless of its line of work should aspire to use the proper equipment, and that’s particularly the case with jobs that are related to heights. There are a number of tools your employees can leverage, and they should also learn how to properly assemble and inspect these things, like lanyards, harnesses, and scaffolding. If they don’t seem to be too interested in doing it, then be sure to accentuate their importance.

Pay Attention To The Slippery Surfaces

There are various surfaces that are uneven or slippery, such as scaffolding planks, sloping roofs, or ones that are slippery due to ice, water, and oil. All of them can be extremely dangerous for your workers, causing them to lose balance and sustain serious injuries.

If you want to prevent this from happening, then you need to make sure every single working platform that you are employing is stable, safe, and able to support a particular load, regardless of its size and weight.

If the ground your team is working on is uneven, then you should utilize mud sills and base plates. What about the non-slip surfaces? When it comes to them, you should put non-slip coatings on them, especially on ladders, walkways, and platforms.

If by any chance your workforce is working in icy or wet conditions, then you should use anti-slip materials, grit, or sand to offer much better traction. You know that saying “better safe than sorry", well, that should be something that you can use as a guideline in these types of situations, meaning that it would be advisable if you conducted a detailed inspection on every single working surface before all of you start working.

Pay close attention to any sign that signifies any instability, like weak points, loose boards, and slippery regions. Additionally, be sure to eliminate clutter, debris, or anything else that can increase the risk of accidents.

As a business owner, we hope that you are aware of the fact of how essential the safety of your employees is and that’s something that should always be put before anything else. If you share this opinion as well, then these are the guidelines you should follow.