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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS MARCH 2016 28
WORK @ HEIGHT:
FROM THE BOARD
WORLD NEWS
YOU NEED TO BE FORMALLY
‘QUALIFIED’ BEFORE USING A
LADDER AT WORK
No, you do not. You need to be com-
petent. This means having the nec-
essary skills, knowledge and experi-
ence to use a ladder properly for the
work you will carry out, or, if you are
being trained, you work under the
supervision of somebody who can
perform the task competently. Train-
ing often takes place on the job and
does not always have to take place
in a classroom. What matters is that
an individual can apply what they
have learned in the workplace.
ARRESTING FALL FATALITIES
Falls from height in the workplace
are responsible for many serious
and fatal injuries each year. Even a
fall from a height as low as two me-
tres above the ground carries the
risk of a person sustaining serious
injury. In addition, the person may
not fall on open ground and the risk
of injury may be greater if the fall is
onto objects below the workspace.
Simon Courtney provides an over-
view of fall arrest PPE.
The risk of a person falling is typi-
cally controlled using a hierarchy of
protection. This begins with finding
alternative ways of working from
ground level, such as removing the
‘height’ itself, and ends with the use
of personal protective equipment
(PPE). Fall arrest PPE is widely used
where work is carried out at height
and is designed to protect against
falls. The basic principle of such
equipment is to prevent serious in-
jury to the user by catching them
at an earlier stage, namely before
the energy associated with the fall
reaches terminal levels, either when
hitting the floor or due to decelera-
tions that are likely to cause death.
A wide range of working at height
equipment is available including fall
arrest harnesses, lanyards, karabin-
ers and connectors, anchor devices
and work positioning systems.
GUIDELINES TO SAFETY FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT
The Institute for Work at Height and its industry col-
leagues has embarked on a much needed project of
developing a set of Guidelines for the safe working
at height. The document is nearing completion and
it was decided that it should be published in book-
let format for easy reference and use by the indus-
try, such as safety officers, managers, supervisors,
Fall Protection Planners, etc. The booklet will also
be made available to the broader public and any-
one who needs to know more about Safe Working
at Height. Below is a Snippet of what the Guideline
booklet has in store.
What you can expect for your sponsorship of the
Guidelines booklet.
R20000 SPONSORSHIP
1. Company to have name and logo mentioned at
the back of the booklet under “SPONSORS”
2. A space at the front of the booklet for your com-
pany to place a sticker with company logo (com-
panies will be able to have their own logo stickers
printed for distribution to their clients and/or em-
ployees).
3. 80 free Guidelines booklets for distribution to cli-
ents and employees.
R10000 SPONSORSHIP
1. Company to have name and logo mentioned at
the back of the booklet under “SPONSORS”
2. A space at the front of the booklet for your com-
pany to place a sticker with company logo (com-
panies will be able to have their own logo stickers
printed for distribution to their clients and/or em-
ployees).
3. 40 free Guidelines booklet for distribution to cli-
ents and employees.
R5000 SPONSORSHIP
1. Company to have name and logo mentioned at
the back of the booklet under “SPONSORS”
2. A space at the front of the booklet for your com-
pany to place a sticker with company logo (com-
panies will be able to have their own logo stickers
printed for distribution to their clients and/or em-
ployees.
3. 20 free Guidelines booklet for distribution to cli-
ents and employees.
4. We hope that you will see the value in your con-
tribution to this very worthy cause. Please e-mail
me at should you be
interested in sponsorship in this booklet and the
necessary Sponsorship document will be forward-
ed to you.
Dr ALTI KRIEL
CEO: IWH