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Technical Advisory For Falling From Height

Na tional OSH PROGRAM M E-BASED ENGAGEMENT (ProBE)

For the past 10 years, falling from height (FFH) has been the number one cause of death at workplaces inSingapore. It has accounted for 34 % of all fatal accidents betw een 2002 and 20 05. In the constructionas well as the shipbuilding and ship repairing industries, persons falling from height has accounted for 51%and 2 8% of fatal accidents respectively. Additio nally, many mo re are seriously injured every year. To achieveour goal of halving our fatalit y rate in t he next 10 years, we need to address this prime contributor to

workplace fatalities in Singapore.

Provide an effective barrier for every open side or opening to prevent falls.

Provide barriers at ed ges of mezzanine floors to prevent falls. Place signs at barriers thatmay be opened f or access, to ensure that it is closed af ter use.

Key Requirement s on t he M easures to Prevent Falls

Falls from height can be prevented by being aw are of th e Dos ( )and Dont s ( )of w orking at heights.Outlined below are some critical measures that can help m ake working at height s safe.

Falls from Height

Struck by Falling Object

Step on, Strike Against, Strike by Object

Top 3 types of Fatal Industrial Accidents for all Industries for Period 20 02-2 005 .

34 %

26 %

11 %

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Provide sta irs and ladders to enable access from one leve l of a ny scaffold t o anot her.

2 Building a safer workplace together

Provide safe means of access and egress with secure handhold and foothold when working atheight.

Provide and maintain a lower rail or other effective means to guard open sides of staircases.

Provide safety harnesses, belts or lif elines that must be used correctly. These m ust be of goodconstruction, without any indication of wear, damage or deterioration.

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3Building a safer workplace together

Provide and use correctly ot her suitableequipments such as safety harnesses or safetybelts, if barricades cannot be provided.

Ensure that suitable means of anchorage areprovided w hen using safet y harness.

Ensure that all ladders are securely fixed, or held by a person, to prevent them from slipping.

Place barricades around all open sides to preventfalls.

Provide only ladders and step-ladders that areof good construction, sound material and

adequate strength for the purpose. Ensure thatthey are securely fixed so that it can neithermove from its top nor from its bottom points ofrest.

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Common Contraventions and Case Studies

A w orker died when he fell through an open side on the 7 th

storey of a building, w hich was under construction.

Investigations revealed:

The open sides of the build ing, f rom the 2nd t o 8 th storey, were not barricaded t o prevent persons falling.

Workers used these open sides to throw debris fromthe building as no chute was provided for the safedisposal of debris. Debris, which may pose a trippinghazard, was found accumulated near the edge of the7 th storey.

Lapses:

No r isk assessment was carried out Fai lure to barricade open sides Lack of safe working practices and hazard analysis Po or h ou sekeep in g No sa fe access and egress No provision for proper waste disposal Failure to provide and ensure correct use of safety

harness or restraint

CASE STUDY (Construction Industry):Worker fell to his death t hrough an open side ofa building under construction

Debris, posing a tripping hazard, accumulated near edge of t he 7 th storeyopening, from where worker fell to death

CASE STUDY (Retail Industry):Worker fell to his death w hile working o n anA-fram e ladder.


The A- frame ladder was in good condit ion and thebracings w ere intact.

No one held onto the ladder while the deceased was

climbing up and dow n it. The worker was not trained in the safe use of a ladderand w as not w earing no n-slip shoes.

Lapses:

No r isk assessment was carried out prior tocommencement of work

No Safe Work Procedure was in place Lack of awareness of hazards associated with working

on ladders

Renactment showing where worker wasstanding on the ladder when he fell.

A fitter climbed an A-frame ladder to secure a plastic sheetonto the wall to cover some merchandise before dismantlingan air conditioner unit. On his way down , his right leg slippedand became entangled on the 3 rdstep of t he A-frame ladder.He fell backward together with the ladder onto the ground.

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CASE STUDY (Construction Industry):A w orker fell while erecting w orking platform s ona completed tow er scaffold w ith 2 co-workers.


The deceased fel l 30m to h is death. There was asafety harness around his waist. How ever, the hoo kof t he harness was attached to its w eb.

The p latform erect ion work began immediate ly aftererection of the t ow er scaffold w as completed. Forthe platform erection work, one group of workerswo uld lay the metal decking while another group ofw orkers would secure the metal decking wit hmushroom clamps. The deceaseds group was incharge of laying th e metal decking.

The deceaseds group was two bays ahead of theother group w ho did t he securing of metal decking,i.e. the progress of laying t he metal decking w asfaster than securing it .

The deceaseds group, particularly the deceased, hadto m ove about on t he platform t o lay the metaldecking. The platform w here the deceased stoo d tocarry out their w ork was not secured at the tim e ofthe fall.

The scaffolding company had a safe work procedurefor scaffold erection w ork. The safe wo rk procedure,however, did not provide detailed, i.e. step-by-stepinstructions on platfo rm erection w ork.

Lapses: No risk assessment was carried out Lack of safety policy, hazard analysis and safe work

practices No supervision to ensure safety harnesses were worn

and attached to a secured achorage point

CASE STUDY (Construction Industry):Worker fell wh ile working on a canopy

Uncovered 2.4m by 1.2m opening in canopy,through which worker fell

A w orker carrying out w ork on t he glass canopy at theentrance of a building fell through an opening in the canopyand landed on the driveway about 7m below.


One of the g lass panels of the canopy was damagedand removed, but the opening was not covered orbarricaded. The size of the opening was about 2.4mby 1.2m.

There was no Safe Work Procedure for work on theglass canopy.

There was no li fel ine provided for the workers. The workers were provided w i th personal protect ive

equipm ent (PPE) i.e. safety shoes, safety helm ets andsafety belts. However, they were not supervised toensure that they used their PPE at all times duringwo rk, and w ere only wearing t heir safety shoes.

The workers were aware of the opening, as they wereinvolved in the removal of the glass panel.

Lapses:

No r isk assessment was carried out Fa ilure to barr icade open ing Lack of safe working practices and hazard analysis No sa fety t ra in ing for work ing a t heigh ts N o sup ervisio n

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6 Building a safer workplace togeth er

CASE STUDY (Construction Industry):Worker fell when formwork shoring toppled to theground

A 6.4m high formwork shoring was to be relocated using a

tow er crane. A w orker had climbed up the formwo rk shoringto attach the hook of the crane to it w hen the formworkshoring he was on t oppled to the ground. The w orker felltogether with t he formwork shoring.


The worker was not provided wi th any work p latformor safe means of access.

The formwork shoring was not temporari ly t ied to afixed structure or building . It w as also not providedwith an outr igger to prevent i t from toppling w henthe worker climbed up on it.

Lapses:

No r isk assessment was carried out Fai lure to provide safe means of access Lack of safe working practices and hazard analysis No fal l prevent ion systems were used

Toppled formwork shoring on which worker was on.

CASE STUDY (Shipbuilding & Ship RepairingIndustry):Worker fell to his death w hile wo rking on ships portfender box

Tw o w orkers were erecting a hanging scaffold at t he portside

of a vessel when it slipped and tilted, causing one worker tofall into the sea but the other was saved by his fall arrestorwhich was secured to the vessels metal railing.


The hanging scaffo ld was erected at the curvedsurface of the hu ll resulting in minimal cont actbetw een the innermost t ransoms of the hangingscaffo ld and th e hull. This caused the scaffol d toslip and its inner section to tilt upwards when workerswere working on it.

Hanging scaffold consisting of 2 b ays of planks

There was only a general Safe Work Procedure witha design for hanging scaffolds, not a specific SafeWork Procedure wit h a design for the erection of ahanging scaffold at a curved surface.

The fal l ar restor provided to the deceased was toosmall for the shackle, thus he secured his fall arrestorto t he metal railing using a wire rope instead. His

co-worker, who had secured the fall arrestor usinga shackle, was saved by the fall arrestor that wasattached to the safety harness.

The trainee scaffold supervisor only attended theMetal Scaffold Erector Course, but not the requiredM arine M etal Scaffolding for Supervisor Course andthe Shipyard Supervisors Safety Course.

Lapses:

No risk assessment was carried out Lack of safety policy, hazard analysis and safe work

practices Fall arrestor provided was unsuitable and could not

be used correctly The supervisor was not competent to carry out h is

duties

The co-worker secured his safety harness to the fall arrestor below. When

the han ging scaffold ti lt ed, he was saved by the fall arrestor.

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Risk M anagement

When w ork activities involve w orking at height, it is essentialthat risk assessments be conducted before work begins tocontro l any f all hazards. Risk assessment s consist o f 3

sequential steps:

Step 1: Identify the hazards.Determine what work activities need to be carried out. Identifyand analyse the hazards associated w ith each w ork activitythat involves someone working at height.

Step 2: Evaluate all hazards identified above.Determine the possibility of someone falling or getting injuredw hile w orking at height. Assess the risk levels for the hazardsbased on their likelihood and severity, and assess the existingrisk control measures.

If there is a risk that a fall may occur, safety measures needto be put in place to cont rol the risk. The primary duty is toeliminate the risk. If this is not practicable, the risk must bereduced so far as is reasonably practicable following thehierarchy of control.

Step 3: Control t he risk.Based on the risk level determined in Step 2, select the riskcontrol strategies to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.These risk con trols m ust b e effective and p racticable. Tocontrol hazards and reduce risks, follow the hierarchy ofcontrol methods. It may be necessary to use more than one

of these measures to reduce a risk to its lowest possible levelw hen no single measure is sufficient on its ow n. The measuresare:

a) Eli min at io nb ) Su bst it u ti onc) Eng ineer ing con t ro lsd ) Admin ist ra t ive con t ro lse) Personal protective equipment

In considering each step in the hierarchy of control, thefollow ing elements of w hat is reasonably practicable mustbe considered:

the l ikel ihood of a hazard or risk occurring (i .e. theprobability of a person being exposed to harm)

the degree of harm that would resul t if the hazardor risk occurred (i.e. the potential seriousness ofinjury or harm)

what the person concerned knows, o r ough treasonably to know, about the hazard or risk andany ways of eliminating or reducing that hazard orrisk

the avai labi li ty and sui tabi li ty of ways to e liminateor reduce the hazard or risk

Risk Controls For Work at Height

A hierarchy of risk controls for working at height should beapplied as detailed below :

Level 1 Level 4(most desired) (least desired)

|____________________________________________|

Level 1: Eliminate the need to w ork at height

The most effective w ay to m ake sure that persons do not fallfrom height is to eliminate the need to work at height.

One obvious way to do so is by relocating the task requiredto ground level, where it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Examples of eliminat ion in clude:

p refabr ica t ion o f roo fs at g round leve l using pre-cast or tilt-up concrete construction instead

of concrete walls constructed in situ using paint rol lers wi th extendable handles using remote released shackles for crane l ifted loads

positioned at height

If eliminating the hazard is not reasonably practicable, thenmeasures that reduce the hazard should be considered andimplemented, where reasonably practicable to do so.

Only where it is not reasonably practicable to use a higherorder control, may you then use a control at a low er level.

Level 2: Undertake the work using a passive fallprevent ion system

Passive fall p revention systems are materials or equipm ent,or a combination of both, that are designed and intended toprevent a person falling.

It also ensures that after the initial installation o ther thanregular checks and maint enance, no o ngoing adjustment,alteration or operation by any person, to ensure the integrityof t he device to perform its function is needed.

Exampl es of passive fall preventi on systems are scaffo lds,mast climbing work platform, aerial work platforms, barricadesand guardrails.

M et hods of Fall Prevention and M anagement

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Aerial Work Platforms

Aerial w ork plat form s (AWPs) such as scissor lifts, boom liftsand cherry pickers are types of elevated w ork p latform s usedto po sition personnel, materials or equipment at height.

The persons working on AWPs are protected by physical

barricades to prevent falls. Most plat forms are also fittedw ith a safety interlock system to prevent accidental topp ling.

All AWPs should only be used on a solid level surface andwithin the load limit. It should not be used in high windconditions or on uneven ground.

Barricades/Guardrail

Guardrails may be used to provide effective fallprotection at:

the perimeters of build ings or other structures

the perimeters of skylights or other fragile materials open ings in floo r or roo f st ructu res edges of shafts or other excavat ions

Guardrails should: be a t least 1m above the work ing level i nco rp ora te a m id- ra il in co rp orat e a t oe bo ard be designed to w ithstand i ts intended load.


Scaffolds

Scaffolds are a common means of providing a safe work plat formfor working at height.

There are a w ide variety of scaffold ing systems available.Information on scaffolds can be found on M OM website at:

http://w ww .mom.gov.sg/QuickLinks/Scaffold+ Programme.htm

M ast climbing w ork platform

M ast climbing w ork platforms can be set up in either a single-mast or mult i-mast configuration.

The erection and dismantling of it must be carried out bycompetent persons.

It should be installed, use and maintained according to themanufacturers manuals.

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One such w ork procedure is the permit-to-w ork systemw hich is used to cont rol potentially hazardous work.

It provides a systematic framework to ensure that hazardousw ork is allowed to comm ence only after the work environmentand condition has been assessed by competent persons tobe safe and approved by the project manager, who w ouldhave know ledge and overall control of t he wo rksite.

With such a system in place, checks will be introduced atdifferent stages of w ork, and t he person responsible forendorsing t he permit w ill be personally held accountable.

It is an effective way of managing ent ry into or w ork onscaffolds.

Safe Work ing Procedures (SWPs) are system atic instructio nson how w ork can be carried out safely. Arising from th e RiskAssessment, a set of SWPs should be w ritten for various jobson site.

The SWP would give a step by step account of how jobs are

to be executed, w ho is in charge of t hese jobs, what safetyprecautions must be taken (based on the risk assessmentmade earlier) and w hat k ind of training is necessary for theworkers doing these jobs.

The SWP must b e commu nicated to everyone involved in t hejo b so tha t each is aw are o f the ro le they p lay i n it .

The SWP must also be communicated to those who will b eaffected by the job.

The permit-to-w ork system has to be integrated w ith t heSafe Work Procedure so that the supervisors are made aware

of the safety requirements and checks.

The Safe Work Procedure and permit-to-work system mustbe clearly described and communicated to all w orkers involvedin t he activity.

Level 4: Personal Protective Equipment

A work positioning system is equipment that enables a personto be positioned and safely supported at a w ork location forthe duration o f th e task being undertaken at height, e.g. atravel restraint system.

Work positioning systems require a higher level of workercompetency and supervision than control measures, whichare higher on the hierarchy of control.

Level 3 : Administrative Controls

An administrative control reduces or eliminates exposure toa hazard by adherence to procedures or instruction.

Administrative control - Fall hazards

Administrative controls are systems of w ork or w ork proceduresthat help to reduce the exposure of employees to fall hazards.


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Travel restraint system s

The purpose of a travel restraint system is to restrict the usersmovement and prevents him from approaching an unprot ectededge on a building or structure.

Generally, the system consists of a safety belt or harness thatis connected by a lanyard to a suitable anchorage point orstatic line.

The system mu st be set up to p revent the w earer from reachingthe edge.

Fall Arrest System (FAS)

Fall Arrest Systems (FAS) are to safely stop a w orker falli ngan uncontrolled distance and reduce the impact of the fall.

FASs are an assembly of interconnected components comprisinga harness connected to an anchorage point or anchoragesystem eit her directly or by means of a lanyard. They can beused where workers are required to carry out their work nearan unprotected edge.


Emergency ProceduresEmergency procedures must be put in place when w ork hasto be performed at height.

While developing these procedures, consider the differenttypes of emergency and rescue scenarios that might arise.

Use the informat ion fro m your risk assessment s to help youin this task.

In the event of a fall, will it be necessary to retrieve theinjured w orker from pot ential fall sites? If so, is the equipm entneeded to p erform a rescue readily available and are w orkerstrained to perform a rescue? It is important that a w orkerw ho is suspended in a full body harness be rescued promp tly.Effective emergency procedures may require one or moreof the fol lowing:

workers using safety harnesses do not work a lone

a person trained in rescue techniques is al locatedto each site rescue equipment is readily avai lab le for use

The emergency procedures must also cover t he provision offirst aid . The pro cedures should :

specify how many workers wi l l be trained in f irstaid, the competencies and the necessary first aidequipment required

identify the nearest hospital and medical treatmentrooms

establish means of contacting the emergency services

promptly

Training in the Prevent ion of FallsInformation, instruction and t raining should provide youremployees with the skills and know ledge they need toperform w ork at height safely. It should help them t ounderstand:

the fa ll hazards to which they are exposed the r isk of in jury associated wi th the task why contro l measures are needed and how to use

them properly what act ions to take i f there is an incident

Working at height, using any or a combination of t he controlsystems betw een Levels 2 to 4, wou ld require the operatorto be properly trained to use the systems employed. Thetraining depends on the level of o perator skill required tooperate or use the control measure.

Restricted travel distance

Lifeline / Lanyard

Anchorage

Safety Belt

Fall Arrest and FullBody Harness System

Anchorage

Shock-Absorber

Full Body Harness

Lanyard

Fall Arresto r Horizontal Lifeline

Anchorage

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Usef ul References:

SS 292 - Safety Nets for const ruct ion si tes

SS 402 Speci f icat ion for Industr ial Safety Bel ts and Harness;Part 1 : General Requirement s

SS 402 Speci f icat ion for Industr ial Safety Bel ts and Harness;Part 2 : Permanent An chors

BS7985 Use of Rope Access Methods for Industr ial Purposes

Gui de li nes on Ri sk Assessm en tAvailable for download from MOM website at:http://www.mom.gov.sg/OSHD/resources/Guides/Guidelines/index.htm

ProBE Techn ica l Advisory for Scaf fo ldsAvailable for download from M OM w ebsite athttp ://ww w.mom .gov.sg/QuickLinks/Scaffold+ Programme.htm

Contact us:For enquiries, please email us at [email protected]

To repo rt u nsafe wo rkplaces, please call the OSH hotlineat: 6317 1111 .

To report accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases,visit: http://www.mom.gov.sg/ireport

Workplace Safety and Heal th Act 2006, Workplace Safety andHealth (General Provisions) Regulations, Workplace

Safety and Health (Risk M anagement ) Regulation s,Workp lace Safety and Health (First-Aid) Regulatio ns,and Code of Practice (CP)s are availabl e at

SNP Corporation (Legal) Ltd

Legal Publications Retail Outlet1 Kim Seng Promenade, #18-01/06Great World City East Tow er S237 994Tel: (65) 68269691Website: http://www.snpcorp.com/webshop

Please note that the advisory note is provided for the benefit of enhancing

workp lace safety and health, in no way is the information to be misconstrued

as implying any liability on an y party.

Date of publication: September 2006

Tasks involving complex work procedures or risk controlmeasures will probably require a comprehensive trainingprocess. Wh atever level of control is used, a high level ofcompetency must be achieved.

For example, a fall arrest system (FAS) requires a high levelof competency on the part of t he user to ensure its proper

usage. Emplo yees w ho u se these systems should be trainedin the correct fitting, anchorage, use and maintenance ofthe FAS, including t he nature of the fall hazard and t he risksof injury associated wit h the tasks that t hey undertake w henusing FAS. This trainin g shoul d cover th e risks of inj uryassociated with an arrested fall.

Where guardrails are being used, employees need to knoww hy the guardrail system is needed and the limit ations ofthe system. They should, for example, be instructed t o avoidstanding on, climbing o ver, or removing any part o f t heguardrail system.

Induction training should be provided for all new wo rkers.It is a good idea to keep a record of training to enableongoing p rogram evaluation and review.

Information should be provided in a form t hat can beunderstood by all workers. This may include providinginformation in languages other than English.

Remember that w hile training is important , it is not asubstitute for effective risk control measures.

Before any work at height can commence, there is a needto verify that all control m easures have been put in place

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