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IDENTIFIED WORKPLACE HAZARDS : IDENTIFIED WORKPLACE HAZARDS


WORKING AT HEIGHTS : WORKING AT HEIGHTS


Background : Background 466 accidents were reported involving Falls from heights in the period 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2000 544 accidents involving being hit by falling objects during the same period Working at Heights will be a priority for Workplace Services reactive work over a 4 Month period


Project Objectives : Project Objectives reduce injuries within all industries related to working at and falls from heights target working at heights across all industries raise awareness of OHSW obligations and our Workplace Services profile in the Industry a coordinated approach by teams in the method of addressing identified hazards measure improvement by comparison of WCA data


Working at Heights Inspections : Height safety Have areas been identified where workers are at risk of falling? Are safety lines and Harnesses provided? Are safety lines and harnesses Inspected on a regular basis? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : Fixed walkways Do fixed platforms, walkways, Stairways, Ladders and Handrails Comply with AS 1657? Platforms, Walkways not less than 600mm in width Is guardrailing provided on sides, ends, edges and openings? Are toeboards provided at the edges of platforms, walkways or landings? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : STAIRS Do the treads extend the full width of the stairway? Are treads slip resistant? Do all exposed sides have guardrails fitted? Do all stairways have handrails fitted on at least one side? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : FIXED LADDERS Are clearances maintained between ladders and all permanent objects? Do handrails extend not less than 900mm through horizontal openings? Do the feet of ladders rest on the platforms or landings? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : STEP LADDERS Is the angle of slope on all step ladders no less than 60 degrees or more than 70 degrees? Are treads no less than 100mm wide? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : RUNG LADDERS Is the angle of slope no less than 70 degrees to the horizontal? Does the distance between landings exceed 6.0metres? Are ladder cages provided where a person can fall more than 6.0metres irrespective of landing? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : Vehicles Is provision made to prevent falls from vehicles? Are staff trained in the use of falls protection equipment? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : FORKLIFTS Are appropriate personnel cages used to lift people? Are operators appropriately trained and assessed? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : ELEVATING OPERATOR TYPE TRUCKS Is the vehicle fitted with an upper limit of elevation device? Is the machine fitted with an emergency lowering? control at ground level Is the machine fitted with a means of securing any pallet or platform attached to it? Is the operator platform of adequate size to accommodate an operator and trainer? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : ELEVATED WORK PLATFORMS Are personnel prevented from entering or leaving the platform while it is in use? Are personnel prevented from using ladders etc on the platform? Are log books used and retained in the unit? Have pre-operational checks been carried out? Working at Heights Inspections


Working at Heights Inspections : PUBLIC SAFETY Have adequate measures been taken to prevent access to the workplace by the public? Are all toe-boards and hoardings in place to prevent objects falling? Is the area directly below where a person is working accessible to the public? Working at Heights Inspections


Relevant Legislation : OHS&W Act (1986) Section 19 - Duties of Employers, (1) (a) shall provide... (i) a safe work environment (ii) safe systems of work (iii) plant…in a safe condition.. Section 21 - Duties of Workers, (1) (a) to protect …own health and safety.. (b) avoid affecting the health and safety of any other person.. (c) use any equipment provided.. (d) obey any reasonable instructions.. Relevant Legislation


Relevant Legislation : OHS&W Regulations (1995) Control of Risk 3.3.3 (1) .. to eliminate or... minimise any risk to health or safety: (a) firstly, the application ... of engineering controls .. (b) secondly, if steps taken … do not minimise the risk … administrative controls, (c) thirdly, if steps taken under ... (a) and (b) do not minimise the risk, the provision of appropriate personal protective equipment. Relevant Legislation


Relevant Legislation : OHS&W Regulations (1995) - continued Prevention of Falls 2.13.1(1) The purpose of this regulation is— (a) to guard against falls that cause injuries due to the distances fallen; and (b) to guard against persons falling into enclosures or containers that contain a source of danger; and (c) to ensure safe access to elevated workplaces;and (d) to prescribe standards that must be observed in relation to the construction, maintenance and use of ladders; and (e) to prescribe standards that must be observed in relation to the performance of maintenance work carried out above ground level on permanent structures. (2) If-(a) a person must work— (i) in an elevated workplace from which he or she could fall; or (ii) in the vicinity of an opening through which he or she could fall; or (iii) in any other place from which he or she could fall, and it is reasonably foreseeable that the person would be injured in such a fall due to the distance of the fall; or (b) a person must work in the vicinity of an enclosure or container into which he or she could fall and there is a reasonable likelihood that the person would be injured in such a fall, reasonable protection against a fall must be provided— Relevant Legislation


Relevant Legislation : OHS&W Regulations (1995) - continued (c) by the provision of a safe means of access to the workplace; and (d) by the provision of secure fences, covers or other forms of safeguarding or, if that is not reasonably practicable due to the nature of the work, by the provision and maintenance of safe systems of work. (3) If a person at work must gain access to a place that cannot be reached conveniently from floor or ground level, and no appropriate means of mechanical access or fixed stairway is available, a suitable ladder or steps must be provided. (4) Any safeguarding provided for the purposes of subregulation (2)(d) must be kept in good condition and must not be removed except so far as may be necessary to allow the access or egress of any person or the shifting of materials. (5) In determining the appropriate system of work for the purposes of subregulation (2)(d), consideration must be given to— (a) if a safe working platform cannot reasonably be provided, the use of a safety harness or a pole safety belt (if appropriate), attached to a secure structural support (either directly or if that is not reasonably practicable, through the use of an adequate static-line system); (b) the use of a fall-arresting device (where appropriate); (c) the undertaking of training in relation to the hazards that may be encountered in the performance of the work; (d) the provision of supervision by a competent person; (e) the provision of assistance by another person. Relevant Legislation


Relevant Legislation : Relevant Legislation OHS&W Regulations (1995) - continued (6) Without derogating from a preceding provision of this regulation, if— (a) a person carries out maintenance work on a structure; and (b) the person must work in an elevated workplace; and (c) it is reasonably foreseeable that the person would be injured if he or she fell due to the distance of the fall, reasonable protection against any fall must be provided— (d) by the use of a building maintenance unit installed by a competent person; or (e) by the use of scaffolding or another type of working platform; or (f) if compliance with paragraph (d) or (e) is not reasonably practicable—by the use of a safety harness attached to a safety line that is in turn attached to an appropriate anchorage (taking into account the situation of the work and the construction of the building). (7) A safety harness or line supplied or used for the purposes of this regulation must be inspected on a regular basis and a harness or line that shows wear or weakness to an extent that may affect the integrity of the harness or line must not be used. (8) An anchorage or system of anchorages must be inspected on a regular basis and, in the case of an anchorage that is permanently fixed to a structure, at least once in every six months.


Relevant Legislation : OHS&W Regulations (1995) - continued (9) If the load-bearing capacity of the anchorage may be impaired, the anchorage must immediately be made inoperable so as to prevent accidental use. (10) The following requirements must be observed in relation to the use of ladders at work, or to gain access to or egress from a workplace— (a) a ladder must be of sound construction and maintained in a safe condition; and (b) a ladder must not be used in a manner that endangers the safety of any person; and (c) ... (d) if a portable single ladder or extension ladder is used, the ladder must be— (i) placed so that the horizontal distance between the top support point of the ladder and the foot of the ladder is approximately one quarter of the supported length of the ladder; and (ii) located on a firm footing and effectively secured in position to prevent slipping and sideways movement; and (e) no ladder other than a trestle ladder may be used to support planks for a working platform, and any such platform may only be used for light duty work. (11) In this regulation— "structure" means a permanent structure (including a building). Relevant Legislation


Relevant Legislation : OHS&W Regulations (1995) - continued The following standards and publication are Approved Codes Of Practice under the Act and are relevant to the subject-matter of this Division: AS 1418: SAA Crane Code— Part 10 Elevating work platforms Part 13 Building maintenance units AS 1576: Scaffolding, Parts 1-4 AS 1657: Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders AS 1891: Industrial safety belts and harnesses AS 1892: Portable ladders AS 2626: Industrial safety belts and harnesses—Selection, use and maintenance The Approved Code of Practice for the Safe Erection of Structural Steelwork Relevant Legislation