When you're creating a fall protection system to assist you while you're working at height, it's paramount that you include an anchor & select a suitable anchor point. An anchor is a device that connects you to the surface you are working on, while an anchor point is a place on the wall, ceiling, or scaffold where you'll install your anchors to support you & your fall arrest system.
Before you start any work at height, you should plot your anchor points and install anchors as necessary. Always check that existing anchors and anchor points are secure and appropriate for the task at hand. If in doubt, seek the help of a colleague or health and safety professional.
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When you're working at height, you have to be conscious of falling objects and the impact they can have on the people below you. While dropping a screwdriver at ground level might seem insignificant, dropping the same tool from a great height could lead to serious (potentially even fatal) injuries. Luckily there are things you can do to stop tools from falling from height.
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Suspension trauma is the human body's response to being vertically suspended in mid-air for a prolonged period of time. It is also known as ‘harness-induced pathology’ or ‘orthostatic shock while suspended’.
If no action is taken, prolonged suspension can lead to loss of consciousness, at which point there is a very real danger of death. Suspension trauma is a very real and serious threat to those who are often suspended, whether for work or as part of a hobby like rock climbing or abseiling.
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When working at height, it’s important to do everything possible to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone around you.
This can mean ensuring you’re using quality equipment, that any necessary tests, checks, and inspections have been carried out, and knowing the terms and expressions that are being used on your site.
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When working at height, you are exposed to a large number of potential dangers; it’s a work environment that’s fraught with risk, and it’s incredibly important to pay close attention to personal safety. In some work environments there are other danger factors to take into consideration above and beyond the risks of working at height, for example, when working in an environment with an explosive atmosphere.
Working in environments with explosive atmospheres offer their own risks and dangers which, combined with working at height, makes them an even more high-risk work environment.
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