1. Fire and Rescue Service Manual Volume 2 – Fire Service Operations SAFE WORK at HEIGHT

2. Background Existing FRS guidance –Fire Service Manual : Rope Working –Guidance and Compliance Framework : Rope Working EC Directive 2001/45/EC – Temporary Work at Height Code of Practice for the Use of Rope Access Methods for Industrial Purposes (Draft BS) Various equipment standards (EN)

3. What’s Changed? The Work at Height Regulations 2005 CFOA Interim guidance Review of existing Manuals ACWAHT Syllabus BS8454 2006: Code of practice for the delivery of training and education for work at height and rescue

4. FRS Manual Scope All work activities where there is a possibility that a fall likely to result in personal injury could occur Access to and exit from a place of work. Includes all work (& training) where there is a risk of falling e.g; –using a ladder or aerial appliance; –working on the roof of a vehicle; –rope rescue work (e.g cliffs, tower cranes etc); –Some confined spaces; –fire fighting and rescues on embankments, docks and quays –offshore fire fighting and rescue; –climbing fixed structures; –working close to an excavation area where someone could fall; –working near a fragile surface; –vehicle and property maintenance

5. NOT Work at Height Slips and trips on the level; Falls on permanent stairs if there is no structural work or maintenance being undertaken; Work on the upper floors of a building where there is no risk from falling.

6. Regulation 4: Organisation and planning WAH should be planned, supervised and carried out in a manner which is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe. Planning for emergencies is included. WAH should only be carried out when the weather conditions do not jeopardise the health or safety of those involved in the work. (Emergency services acting in an emergency are exempt from this restriction)

7. Regulation 5: Competence All people involved in WAH should be competent, or if being trained, be properly supervised by a competent person. Guidance: a competent person understands their responsibilities under these Regulations and can demonstrate sufficient training, knowledge, actual experience, and (delegated) authority to enable them to:- –carry out their assigned duties at the level of responsibility allocated to them; –understand any potential hazards related to the work (or equipment) under consideration; –detect any technical defects or omissions in that work (or equipment), recognise any implications for health and safety caused by those defects or omissions, and be able to specify remedial actions to mitigate those implications.

8. Regulation 8: Requirements for work equipment Guard rails, toe boards, barrier or similar collective means (Schedule 2) Working platforms, including aerial appliances (Schedule 3. part 1) Collective Safeguards (Schedule 4) Personal fall protection systems (Schedule 5, part 1) Work restraint (Schedule 5, part 5) Work positioning (Schedule 5, parts 2 and 3) Fall arrest systems (Schedule 5, part 4) Ladders (Schedule 6)

9. Regulation 9: Fragile surfaces Requirement to prevent people falling through fragile surfaces. No person at work should pass across, or work on or from, a fragile surface where it is reasonably practicable to carry out this work safely by some other means. Fragile surfaces must be indicated by warning notices (Emergency services acting in an emergency are exempt from this restriction)

10. Regulation 11: Danger areas Where a workplace contains an area in which, owing to the nature of the work, there is a risk of any person at work: –falling a distance; or –being struck by a falling object, –which is liable to cause personal injury Unauthorised persons are prevented from entering Danger Areas Danger Areas are clearly indicated.

11. Collective Protection Barriers Air bags, bean bags, mats etc Nets

12. Individual Protection Work restraint Fall arrest Work positioning

13. Access Techniques Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) Working platforms Ladders Ropes, harnesses and associated equipment

14. Ladders Is the activity urgent? –Is there an imperative to save human life or control a deteriorating situation? –Would waiting for an alternative means of access compromise the outcome? Are there alternative means of access and egress that avoid the need to use ladders? Do the working and environmental conditions increase the risk of using a ladder? Do the weather conditions increase the risk of using a ladder? What is the expected duration of use? Is the ladder going to be used as a work platform or solely as a means of access and egress?

15. Rescue From Height

16. Training Specific training programmes must be provided for personnel expected to work at height. Each FRS will need to determine the boundary between general or core skills applicable to all personnel and the more technical skill required of staff who undertake specialist duties. Specific good practice guidance on training for work at Height is provided by: –The Health and Safety Executive, through their Work at Height Syllabus prepared by the Advisory Committee on Work at Height Training (www.acwaht.org.uk)www.acwaht.org.uk –BS 8454:2006: Code of practice for the delivery of training and education for work at height and rescue

17. Model training aims and objectives Knowledge skills and understanding required by all firefighters. Training for specialist rope operator support duties. Training for specialist rope operator duties. Rope work supervisor training. Rope work instructor training. Continuation and refresher training. Ongoing assessment

18. Training Instructors Brigades that undertake specialist rope work activities should appoint a senior rope work instructor who will be responsible for: –Validating the technical aspects of rope working and the suitability of equipment. –Assessing the knowledge, skills and understanding of other instructors. –Supervising the conduct and assessment of specialist rope operator courses. Brigades must ensure that rope work instructors are competent and have appropriate experience. When this is not available within the brigade consideration should be given to: –The use of competent instructors from other brigades. –Provision of training by external training providers.

19. ‘Live’ Casualties Training at height must be avoided unless essential to the outcomes required. (e.g. the technique of packaging a casualty on to a stretcher could be realistically practiced a few feet of the ground, with collective fall protection bags immediately below.) Any exposure to risk is essential to achieve clear and established learning outcomes. The risk is not disproportionate to the benefits. The risk to the ‘casualty’ should not be greater than that to the rescuer. Live casualties are used when casualty care is the prime objective of the training session. Live casualties are provided with appropriate PPE, including a separate safety system as appropriate.

20. In Summary

21. Corporate Considerations IRMP will inform activities and priorities Decisions relating to work at height will need to: –Take account of all relevant statutory provisions. –Establish policies, set priorities and define safe systems of work. –Ensure the provision of appropriate equipment, information, training and supervision. –Review policies and procedures and revise as appropriate. –Ensure suitable and sufficient resources are available to provide safe systems of work Nominate one individual to take overall management responsibility for work at height

22. Please try and spread the message! AVOID (Work at Height) PREVENT (A fall from height) MITIGATE (Minimise the distance and consequences of any fall)

23. Any Questions?

24. Chris Bilby Station Manager Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service 07800 709966 Chris.bilby@lfrs.org