Working at heights
A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) at a workplace must manage risks to health and safety associated with a fall by a person from one level to another that is reasonably likely to cause injury to the person or any other person. (This does not apply to horse riding).
Falling from a height is a serious risk when repairing, maintaining or gaining access to:
- silos
- windmills
- towers
- sheds/barns
- mezzanine floors
- other structures.
Risks
When you are working high above the ground it is important to think about the risks including:
- height of the work
- guard rails or other edge protection
- roof pitch and surface conditions
- weather conditions like wind strength
- complexity of task.
Controls
To prevent anyone falling, the following controls should be put in place:
- alternatives to working at height e.g. fill feed silos pneumatically from the feed supply truck
- erect edge protection or guard rails
- place a fall protection cover over an opening
- provide a travel restraint or fall-arrest harness system
- provide an industrial safety net.
Ladders
Ladders should not be used when working at a height. Follow advice for the safe use of ladders when undertaking construction work in Pt 6.3 Div 4 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
The type of work that can be safely performed on a ladder is limited. Scaffolding or an elevating work platform provides a much safer way to work at heights.