Safety Measures and Protection When Working At Heights And In Confined Spaces

Working at heights and working in confined spaces are risky jobs as falls from heights or hazards in confined spaces can result in serious injuries, including fatalities. This is why it is mandatory by law for employers to ensure that all precautions are in place before workers are asked to access these places. Technological advances are resulting in architects giving free reign to their imagination, so much so that buildings are becoming more and more complex. Repairs and maintenance of these buildings require workers to access these places, sometimes at risk to their own lives. Working at height training is absolutely essential, therefore, to ensure the safety of these workers.

Safety with Training

Working at height training enables these workers to work responsibly and safely. Employers and employees are able to comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Employees are given all the information they require to work safely at heights, whereas employers are expected to use the right control measures to ensure the safety of their employees. Employers learn how to assess the risks correctly and manage them. They are guided on investing in the right access equipment that would be safe to work with.

Mandatory by Law

All workers who work at heights or at a place at or below ground level are required to undergo the working at height training to confirm that they are competent and able to work safely under these circumstances. Employers have to certify that this training has been provided to all such employees. Professions such as gutter cleaning, putting up displays, solar panel installation, roof work, machine maintenance, excavations, shelf stacking, and window cleaning can only be done by people who are trained in it. If the risk assessment is severe, workers may be required to undergo more specialised training besides the basic one.

Gives Good Understanding

The use of specialised equipment gives a false sense of security to certain people. They may thus be quite careless when approaching such high-risk jobs. They not only put their lives in danger but also the lives of those who are with them. Working at height training gives them a good understanding of why they need to adopt safe working practices and the legislation that backs it. They learn to make an accurate risk assessment and to use the right control measures. They are taught to use the right access equipment and how to carry out the basic checks before each use. They are also given statistics about accidents that have taken place.

Precautions Before Entry

Working in confined spaces also requires adequate training for the safety of workers. The atmospheric condition in the space is tested before entry. They are also required to constantly check the space even after entry to ensure there is no change in the atmospheric condition. Before entering into a confined space, they have to remove and lock out all engulfment and energy hazards. The tools carried by the workers into the confined space must not create an unsafe environment. There must be trained rescue personnel standing by in the event of an accident.