Construction work is comprised of various roles and jobs. Each of these roles comes with a certain level of responsibilities, alongside several risks. Despite taking safety precautions, accidents could still happen no matter uncommon they may be.
As such, you must protect yourself as much as possible when working in construction. The sentiment is especially true when working at heights. These jobs come with a risk of falling, which may result in significant injuries or even fatalities. For obvious reasons, you need to be extra cautious.
Follow these tips to protect yourself when working at heights:
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Training
Even if you don’t work construction or in a similar role, jobs that require you to be at certain heights can be risky. However, you will most likely have received a good amount of working at heights training before your boots hit the ground. No matter how experienced you might be, following this training program is in your best interest.
Training for heights is especially crucial to remember at all times, especially when you consider the external elements. Inclement weather, for instance, can impact your ability to work, while leading to a precarious situation. With the right training behind you, you’ll be able to mitigate these possibilities through and through.
Using the Railings
Working at heights will require security. Safety is more than just following initial guidance that you are provided with. There should be some safety equipment surrounding you to prevent unwarranted issues from occurring.
In common scenarios, you will be on a platform while working at a heightened level. The railings on these platforms are guaranteed to prevent you from falling off the platform. Make sure that you use these barriers as much as possible. That way, you’ll ensure that you can conduct your duties without fearing the environment.
Personal Protective Equipment
Of course, railings, and other similar forms of barriers, will not be the only important equipment to have on hand. You’ll also need to outfit yourself with the correct personal protective equipment. As per usual, ensure you have a hard hat, eye goggles, and gloves to start.
Jobs that require you to be at a certain height should also necessitate the use of a harness and lanyard. The former can be used to keep you stable while on the platform in the event of a problem occurring. The latter will also depend on your unique working conditions and should be adjustable as you see fit.
Tools for the Environment
Working at a specific height at work will not be universal for all situations. Some scenarios will see a person needing only to climb a couple of feet to get the job done. Other situations may require a greater height to work with, which is, of course, much more dangerous. Every set of circumstances requires some tools over others.
For example, you may just need a large ladder to get from point A to B in one scenario. Other situations may require scaffolding of some sort so that you can get the job done. Take into consideration the level of height you will be working with. By doing this, your overall safety will be prioritized.
Anchor Points
Moreover, once you decide to go to your heightened work point, you will need to think about the anchor point. Anchor points for certain height levels can only work if a specified weight is not exceeded. In addition, you should also make a note of how the anchor point is installed. All of these factors will be especially important, as far as safety is concerned!
Elevators
Some workers may find themselves working in and around an elevator. Just like their heightened counterparts, there is a myriad of ways in which things can go wrong. Understanding this prior will help to keep you safe at all times.
The aforementioned anchor points will be even more critical to understand for elevator servicing. Ensure you are properly protected with your safety gear at the onset. Then, confirm that the boom lift has been correctly tied off. This will ensure that stabilization is not interfered with.
Fall Distance
As is the case with considering which tools you use for your environment, fall distance has to be thought about too. This figure relates to how much space is between you and the ground below.
All the protection equipment in the world will simply not work if you end up falling down a considerable distance. As such, make a note of how much space is below you and go from there. By outfitting yourself with the right safety measures, you can get the job done without fear!
