Associations important to have safe anchors and lifelines because people need to get home safely every day . There is a hierarchy of controls to manage the full risk of working at height – first , we try to eliminate the fall risk entirely . If that ’ s not possible , we try to find other ways of doing the work without being exposed to a fall risk .
If that ’ s not possible , we go to the next level of controls by engineering the risk away with solutions like guardrails . If this is not possible , we go to administrative controls – writing processes and permit systems to manage the way people work and prevent exposure to a fall risk . Only if that doesn ’ t work do we use PPE – harnesses , lifelines and anchors – to keep people safe . He said it should be noted that training and preparation is needed for people to use these systems safely ; including being medically fit , aptitude , competence training and induction training .”
Stapelberg outlined the design and use of single point anchors – static single attachment points with the purpose of giving a secure point to hook oneself into a single location , for uses such as fall restraint , fall arrest and for rope access . These anchors include pop-up anchors , swivel anchors and bolted anchors . It ’ s important to be aware of the risk of stress corrosion cracking when an anchor is fixed to structural steel , he said . When using temporary anchors – for example wrapping a sling around a structural steel member – it is important to understand the requirements for structural steel members as temporary anchors . “ One of the requirements is the minimum load capacity that the structural steel member should be able to handle . Anchors must also cater for rescue , and any certified anchor already caters for rescue loads in its design .” He said anchors should align with best practice guidelines , such as EN quality and performance standards and exceed minimum load requirements .
Stapelberg noted that when planning anchors , it is extremely important to consider safe access to and from the anchor in the design . “ This is often overlooked , but a safe anchor with unsafe access is only half the battle won ,” he cautioned . “ Because it ’ s static , you have a radius of movement around the anchor , so you need to consider the range of movement of the worker , and where exactly the fall risks and access points are .” He said that dangerous pendulum falls could occur if anchors were not properly positioned .
“ You also need to be mindful of using the right equipment with the anchor ,” he said . “ A thing many people miss is that a hard hat is not really designed for work at height , and that a work at height helmet should be used instead . In addition , you can ’ t tie your rope directly to the anchor – you must use a connector . You can ’ t use unrated equipment , and you must ensure that your anchor and equipment are sourced from reputable suppliers who offer warranties .” He warned against using non-structural features like handrails for fall arrest , or using machine lifting eye-type anchors .
Manufacturer guidelines for direction of load should be carefully adhered to , and anchors designed for work at height should not be used for rigging and hoisting , Stapelberg added . “ Rigging anchors don ’ t provide for shock loads ,” he said .
Lifelines are designed to connect to anchors , with a shockabsorbing element , and are used for fall restraint and fall arrest . “ Lifelines are not for hanging on – you need a different system if you need to support a person ’ s weight ,” he noted .
“ A certified lifeline caters for rescue loads in its design and should cater for multiple simultaneous users . As with anchors , lifeline planning should include safe access to and from the lifeline hook-up point , and consideration of the range of movement it allows and any fall risks in the radius of the lifeline ,” he said .
“ Ladder cages used to be the standard approach to fixed ladders on-site , but these actually cause more injury and harm , complicate rescues and interfere with fall protection systems ,” he warned . “ If you have a fixed ladder , the best solution is to have a fall protection system in place with no ladder safety cage .”
" You can ’ t tie your rope directly to the anchor – you must use a connector . You can ’ t use unrated equipment , and you must ensure that your anchor and equipment are sourced from reputable suppliers who offer warranties ."
GUIDELINES AND TRAINING Michelle Beetge , chair , Fall Protection Chamber at The Institute for Work at Height ( IWH ), said the Work at Height Guidelines document , print booklet , app and e-book sought to assist stakeholders in establishing safe practices in any industry where a person would be at risk of a fall from height . She said IWH looks to benchmark international best practices to stay up to date with changing guidelines , regulations and practices for fall arrest , fall prevention and fall restraint systems used across a vast range of activities .
Lizahni Wolff , QMD ( Quality Management Division ) of The Institute for Work at Height ( IWH ) outlined IWH recognised training providers and the newly developed QCTO ( Quality Council for Trade and Occupations ) skills programmes . The IWH works closely with the Department of Employment and Labour , specifically the Civil and Construction , and the Occupational Health and Safety Directorates on training and coordinated closely with the SETAs and QCTO on all work at height training matters . RACA
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I May 2023 13