Falling from a height is a frequent cause of accidents, usually serious or fatal. Work at heights is a particularly dangerous job, threatening the life and health of employees. Therefore, when performing work at height, exceptional precautions must be taken due to the high degree of risk to the health and life of employees.

Working at heights includes, but is not limited to, working on scaffolding, building structures, ceilings, chimneys, ladders or other elevations at a height of at least 1.0 m above the ground or floor level.

Work at height is not work on the surface, regardless of the height at which it is located, if this surface is protected on all sides to a height of at least 1.5 m with solid walls or walls with glazed windows or is equipped with other permanent structures or devices protecting the worker from falling from a height.

Only employees who:

• have a valid medical certificate on the lack of contraindications to work at heights. The referral for height tests should contain a clear annotation about work above or below 3 m
• have undergone training in the field of occupational health and safety and on-the-job training familiarizing them with the specifics of work at heights and the hazards present at the workplace
• are guaranteed personal protective equipment and have the ability to use them
• have been familiarized with the occupational risk assessment related to their work

Due to the fact that work at height is included in the so-called In the case of particularly dangerous work, the employer has a number of obligations to ensure safe performance of work. The most important are:

• ensuring direct supervision over these works by persons designated for this purpose,
• providing appropriate means of individual and collective protection,
• providing employees with on-the-job training.

The employer should also remember that, in accordance with the requirements, on surfaces raised to a height of more than 1.0 m above the floor or ground level, on which employees may be present due to the work performed, or serving as passages, railings should be installed consisting of protective handrails placed at a height of at least 1.1 m and curbs at least 0.15 m high.

Work at heights should be organized and performed in a way that does not force employees to lean beyond the handrail of the railing or the outline of the device on which the employee will be standing.

If, due to the type and conditions of performing work at height, the installation of railings is impossible, other effective means of protecting employees against falling from a height, appropriate to the type and conditions of performing work, should be used. Employees in such a situation are to be provided with the appropriate type of equipment protecting against falls from a height, such as: a safety harness with a safety line attached to fixed elements of the structure or a safety harness with a waist belt.

Source:https://poradnikprzedsiebiorcy.pl/-praca-na-wysokosci-obowiazki-pracowiska

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.