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Working at Height

The # 1 Problem when working at height

Too often Leading Edge trainers take a look at work sites only to discover guys working at height making the same mistake again and again.

Is this a minor mistake? Basically no! It’s one that could be tragic should the operative fall.

Many people believe that the top error being a worker working without having safety gear. Not so!

The number one error Leading Edge trainers discover is where organizations have incurred the cost of providing safety equipment, nevertheless as a result of lack of the required knowledge the actual worker is employing it wrongly. The worker appears safe but does not realize that if he falls his protective gear will fail.

It will be a tragedy, even worse it would be avoidable.

The number 1 error is connector wrong use by the site worker.

Exactly what does misuse imply?

1. Choking – tying off incorrectly

2. Connecting to an unsuitable anchor point

3. Incorrect directional loading

1. Choking

This is where a site worker is provided a lanyard, often having a small karabiner at the end. The site worker intuitively passes the actual lanyard around an anchor point e.g. a column or perhaps a beam, using the particular karabiner to choke i.e. tighten the actual lanyard around the anchor point.

The problem arises should the worker fall, even further tightening up the actual choked lanyard and subsequently applying a shock load inappropriately to the karabiner gate most probably causing the barrel of the karabiner to fail.

Karabiners are intended to accommodate tensile (pull) forces along their length and are at their weakest if the load forces are across the minor axis (width) or even against the gate.

It’s normally acknowledged that in order to engineer a connector in order to withstand the directional loading across the gate of the Karabiner which has been choked during a fall would need a gate strength of 5,000 lbs.

Observe that this particular dynamic loading failure across the gate of the connector is applicable to all types of connector i.e. scaffold hook, snap hook, and karabiner.

2. Connecting to an unsuitable anchor point

For example, a roof worker might intuitively connect to an handrail thinking this to be a acceptable fixing point.

Please note! Every non permanent anchorage points have to be able to withstand a 12 kN Load. If in doubt the particular anchor point needs to be approved by a structural engineer.

Leading Edge level 1 and 2 training cover identifying suitable anchor points.

3. Scaffold Hooks

Scaffold hooks will often be positioned around scaffolding resting on just the horizontal member, i.e. the gate of the scaffold hook will be pushed open subject to the actual loading that would be imposed from the horizontal member in the event of a fall. This occurs because downwards direction or loading imposed by the cross-member across the axis of the gate on the scaffold hook and will result in total hook failure because the hook gate will subsequently bend open, or in worst-case situation, may explode.

Summary of connector incorrect use

Often a lack of knowledge of equipment overall performance and its limitations can result in site workers being issued with improper safety gear and that is unsuitable for the intended use.

As an example the scaffold hooks will often be used where a sling would be a much safer choice.

To summarize this section about improper use of connectors, which can have devastating and even fatal consequences; it’s important for the site management, Foreman and stores personnel that they are capable in order to issue the right equipment to do the job.

Site workers, usually through insufficient instruction have no idea of the things they can do with the simplest of equipment such as connectors. Hence, it is essential that both site workers and those managers accountable for height safety are sufficiently educated to be competent to undertake their duties safely.

Connector incorrect use is simply one of 25 or more total equipment incorrect use things leading edge commonly see on site.

Death to the number 1 mistake – not the site worker

How to pick and work with connectors

Many years of practical experience on site has convinced us at Leading Edge that the answer lies in the following:

1. Sufficient strength and load-bearing capabilities

2. Correct size

3. Easy to use

4. Lightweight to transport

5. Commercially acceptable

6. Being correctly trained to use connectors as well as associated equipment

Undoubtedly this often leads back to specifying slings, whether webbing or cable.

These types of proprietary products have to be PPE items that are CE approved, designed to be an integral element in any fall arrest system and not just a bit of wire that someone has terminated.

Slings belong to two classes

Wire -cable sling to EN795

Normally a 1m (but can reasonably be any length) galvanised steel cable, in a very hard but flexible plastic resin jacket, which makes it more durable from abrasion and corrosion, additionally safeguarding the actual anchorage point from cable abrasion. This kind of configuration is often made use of together with inertia reels.

Webbing slings to EN795

This is a product that is lightweight and easy to transport around, which usually improves its attraction and is affordable. It is sometimes employed when anchoring to a scaffold pole.

Proper use of scaffold hooks and karabiners

Scaffold Hook

It might be the case that it’s simpler to tie off using a scaffold hook when compared to a sling and standard karabiner, however a scaffold hook is designed to be suspended off horizontal Anchorage e.g. of a horizontal scaffold tube, ensuring correct directional loading (vertical downward load).

Karabiners

As said before previously karabiners are weakest when they’re loaded across as well as against their gate.

Which means that it is very important that the karabiner is at all times loaded along its length and never across its width, which will pull against its gate as well as cause the karabiner to take a force against the gate. Therefore you should take care

fall arrest

fall arrest products

The Number one Error Making use of Fall Arrest Equipment

Leading Edge Working at Height Safety training courses and Fall Arrest Equipment are specifically designed for anyone whose job requires them to work at height and involves using the necessary safety equipment required to do this.

This blog was bought to you by Colin Taylor. For more information please visit our website at www.godivagroup.co.uk. The Godiva Group are the UK’s leading Scaffolding, Asbestos and Environmental Services company.