To increase Occupational Health and Safety / Environmental awareness and to contribute to raising awareness on certain topics beyond training sessions, we have prepared the first issue of our OHS-E Bulletin:

"WORKING AT HEIGHT”

What Is Working at Height? Any work carried out in an area where there is a difference in level and where there is a possibility of injury as a result of falling is considered working at height. Statistics show that 85% of people who fall while working above 3–4 meters lose their lives. In the construction sector, 44% of accidents occur as a result of falls from height. Who Is at Risk? Almost everyone working in the construction sector, in particular, is exposed to the risk of falling from height.

• Openings
• Areas without guardrails
• Ladders
• Scaffolds
• Roofs
• Excavation areas
• The tops of machinery, equipment, and vehicles are the main risk areas.

Causes of Falls from Height

Lack of Knowledge: The person does not have sufficient knowledge about the work being performed.

Personnel Selection: Assigning the wrong personnel to the wrong job. The work does not match the employee’s physical condition, such as poor vision, hearing impairment, or inability to use any limb.

Failure to Promote Occupational Health and Safety Rules: Managers do not believe in the necessity of occupational health and safety rules and do not encourage personnel to implement these rules.

Engineering: Designed systems make safe working difficult and do not meet the minimum requirements of the work.

Inadequate Personal Protective Equipment: Personal protective equipment is not used or is insufficient.

Insufficient Inspection and Maintenance: The inspection and maintenance program does not cover critical equipment, and the program is not followed adequately.

Unsafe Working Methods: Work safety rules and working methods accepted as safe are actually unsafe.

How Can We Reduce the Risk of Falling from Height?

First of all, work to be carried out at height should be considered within the scope of high-risk work. Before working at height, the following steps should be followed:

1. Identification of the Hazard: Checking the working surface, verifying whether employees have received “Working at Height Training,” checking weather conditions, checking the lighting of the work area, checking the cleanliness and order of the work area, and checking the risks of collapse, cave-in, or slipping.
2. Assessment of the Risk: Evaluating the risk of falling, the number of people who may be affected in the event of an accident, and the possible consequences.
3. Taking Precautions: Taking measures that can reduce the risk.
4. Evaluation of the Results: Determining whether the solution found is effective and checking whether the solutions create any other risks.

Working at Height Rules

• In work to be carried out at height, working without a platform should be avoided as much as possible.
• In work without a platform, safety nets, horizontal/vertical lifelines, self-retracting fall arrest systems, and full-body harnesses should be used.
• Proper lighting should be provided to ensure adequate visibility.
• Depending on the level of danger and risk, work on the platform should be carried out under the supervision of an observer
• The platform on which the work will be performed should be inspected by an authorized engineer, and a platform inspection form should be completed.
• In scaffold works, attention should be paid to the connection points, guardrails, toe boards, and whether the scaffolds have internal ladders.
• During scaffold works, an independent horizontal/vertical lifeline should be used, and personnel without a full-body harness should not be allowed to access the scaffold.
• In ladder works, the ladder should not be higher than 3 meters.
• Ladders should be made of metal or metal alloy and comply with the relevant standards.
• In ladder works, attention should be paid to placing the ladder at a ratio of 1/4.
• Ladders should not be used as working platforms.
• In works involving aerial work platforms or crane baskets, the safety harness should be attached to the crane hook or to the vertical lifeline coming from the hook.
• The platform or scaffold to be used for working at height should be of sufficient width, and materials should be arranged properly so that they do not create any risk.
• In wall and façade works carried out from inside the building, horizontal lifelines and full-body harnesses should be used.
• Maintenance should be carried out on indoor or outdoor elevators that provide access to upper floors.
• The use of elevators that have not been maintained should be prevented.
• Emergency situations should be considered in risk analyses for working at height.
• Drills involving working-at-height scenarios should be carried out.
• Worn personal protective equipment and equipment that does not comply with CE standards should not be used in work at height.

Conclusion

We must recognize that the principles of working at height are of vital importance. Working-at-height principles must be applied regardless of status. The greatest obstacle to establishing an occupational safety culture is underestimating and ignoring occupational safety.

As Entegre Proje Yönetim, we must strictly comply with working-at-height rules in our manufacturing, quality control, and supervision activities, and we must not overlook any nonconformities related to this matter. Please remember:

Do not let your last sentence be: “Nothing will happen to me.”

EPY / HSE REPORT 001 “Working at Height”