Find out what HSE recommends regarding working from height and how KITE's wide range of products can keep your site and staff fully protected.
1. You can be on the ground and still technically ‘Working from Height’
This is because HSE advises that you are working at height if you could fall into an opening in a floor or hole in the ground. Use of handrails and appropriate slip-resistant flooring are some precautions that ensure safety in this little-considered risk area.
2. Many Believe Ladders are Banned by HSE, But they Actually Aren’t
A common misconception about ladders is that they are banned by the Health and Safety Executive, however this is not the case. Ladders are often an easy and safe option for low-risk, short duration tasks (i.e. less than 30 minutes).
KITE’s access and ladders kits come in a range of forms, dimensions and materials, so you will find something appropriate for every setting and budget, ensuring safety is paramount throughout.
3. You Are Not Working at Height If You Use a Staircase at Work
If there is a permanent staircase in your building, this is not considered ‘working at height’. There are measures that can be taken to improve the safety of these stairs however – consider implementing KITE’s Stair Treads or GRP Nosing to improve visibility, slip resistance and above all – safety.
4. Collective Protection Always Comes Before Personal Protection
Measures that protect everyone who is at risk (collective protection) should always be considered before measures that protect only individuals.
A great example of this is installing a handrail to protect both an individual working on a roof and those standing below.
5. Architects and Designers Have a Mandate to Safety
The HSE recommends that architects and building designers should ‘design out’ the need to work at height if possible.
This includes considering the lifespan of a building and any work that may need carried out to clean, maintain and repair it.
However, if they don’t, KITE’s Freestanding Roof Edge Protection Systems ensure safety for those carrying out temporary roof work without the need for drilling or welding onto the building.
6. Some Things Can’t Be Taught in a Classroom
While guidance from the HSE asserts that only competent employees should work at height, this doesn’t necessarily mean a certification is required. In fact, the HSE acknowledges that training for low-risk, short duration tasks often takes place on the job!
7. Seven is a lucky number – when it comes to inspecting working platforms
Did you know that any working platform from which a person could fall more than 2 metres must be inspected at intervals not exceeding seven days? It must also be inspected after assembly in any position, and after any event liable to have affected its stability.
These procedures are a necessary part of the effort to keep workers safe, using secure equipment.
No matter your knowledge of Working from Height regulations – KITE has you covered. KITE provide both permanent and temporary safety equipment that comply with HSE regulations and can fully cater to your project’s needs.
KITE’s Standard Ladder Modular System is prefabricated and is perfectly suited to working from height. Additionally, our Fibreglass GRP access ladders are a lightweight yet extraordinarily strong alternative that is corrosion resistant and maintenance free.
KITE’s Freestanding Roof Edge Protection System is a sturdy, lightweight and durable collective fall protection system that ensures collective safety when working from height.
All KITE products comply with HSE Specialist Inspector Report No. 15 & HSG33 Health and Safety in Roof Work.
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