Working at Height Risk Assessment Templates
Proactively identify hazards and help reduce risks in one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and fatalities
Proactively identify hazards and help reduce risks in one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and fatalities
Published 30 Nov 2021
Working at heights is defined as the performance of work at an elevated height of two meters or higher. This type of work is common in the construction industry. Working at heights is one of the biggest causes of preventable work injuries and fatalities around the world.
This working at heights procedure template can be used to improve safety when working at heights. Begin by recording the nature of work, identify activities associated with working at heights, and record the team working onsite. Next, determine potential risks like falling, slipping, or tripping. Then, proceed with evaluating controls like training, planning, and proper use of fall protection systems and equipment. Lastly, provide recommendations to improve working at height safety.
In this article, we will talk about:
A working at height risk assessment evaluates hazards and risks associated with working above ground/floor level. It is both a moral and legal obligation of employers to have a risk assessment done prior to working at heights in order to formulate and implement preventive measures against potential injuries and fatalities associated with working at heights.
Same as a regular risk assessment, a working at height risk assessment involves the following steps:
Working at heights is dangerous in more ways than one. Several situations, elements, and factors contribute not only to the overall risk level, but also to the nature of the hazards safety officers and construction workers may face on any given day. Below are the top hazards encountered when working at heights:
Safety officers must ensure that control measures are in place in order to prevent such situations where the risk of slips, trips, and falls are increased.
Safety officers must ensure that all workers, especially the ones working below elevated work areas wear hard hats at all times.
At the start of the job it is best practice to determine whether a task requires working at heights. Unless necessary, It is advisable to avoid working at heights and instead encourage workers to use extended or long handled tools for hard to reach locations.
In the event that the work requires working at heights, determine if falls and accidents are preventable. If so, proper equipment (i.e. Mobile Elevated Work Platforms, scaffolds, ladders, PPE) should be used and inspected at all times to ensure that they are in good working condition. If falls and accidents are at risk of occurring or not preventable then safety harnesses and fall protection landing gear should be installed.
Below is a flow-chart that summarizes the decision making process when planning on working at heights:
Construction workers should only work at heights when it is absolutely unavoidable. When the greenlight is given to work at height, the effective implementation of a standard procedure can drastically reduce the associated risks and hazards. Below is an example of a standard procedure when working at heights:
Before any worker is allowed to work at height, elevated platforms such as scaffolds and towers, as well as fall arrest equipment and other PPEs, need to undergo a comprehensive inspection to ensure that they have no defects, damage, and design flaws. Aside from pre-use inspections, a maintenance inspection schedule should also be established.
After ensuring that elevated platforms and personal fall arrest equipment are up to standard, verify their load-bearing capacity to ensure that you do not exceed recommended levels. For example, OSHA requires scaffolding to be able to bear at least four times the maximum intended load applied to it.
Before allowing personnel to work at heights, safety officers must ensure that individuals have undergone and passed the training programs required for elevated work. Additionally, workers must be physically capable of working at heights and do not have pre-existing health conditions which may put them at a higher risk while performing their work. Lastly, workers must not be allowed to report for duty if they are under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.
While working at heights, procedures for securing objects, equipment and tools should be in place to prevent falling objects from injuring those who work at the ground level. Attachment points, tool lanyards, tool holsters, and tool belts are simple, low-cost control measures to reduce the likelihood of worker injury due to falling objects.
Any worker who identifies risks or hazards, especially regarding working at heights, must immediately report them to concerned individuals. In such a scenario, work must be stopped immediately. A competent individual, in most cases the official safety officer, must ensure that the risks have been mitigated before allowing work to resume.
Considering the high fatality and injury rates associated with working at heights, it makes perfect sense for companies to invest in the best tools and equipment to minimize such risks.
Using iAuditor by SafetyCulture as a safety inspection tool, safety officers and construction workers can improve risk assessment practices so issues are identified and resolved ASAP.
Take advantage of these industry-leading features to ensure the safety of your workers:
This working at height risk assessment template can be used to identify risk activities associated with working at height. This template includes a risk matrix to help identify the likelihood of the severity of risks identified onsite. Take photos of hazards and document all observations. Use the hierarchy of controls reference to identify the type of controls used to mitigate the working at height risks. Browse other risk assessment templates here.
This toolbox talk meeting record is ideally used before commencing working at height. Encourage your team to identify and share hazards associated with work for the day as well as following up on previously unresolved hazards. Record what was discussed during the working at heights toolbox talk and have all participating members sign off on the iAuditor app.
Using ladders can be fatal if not correctly inspected and used. This template to assess the risk of ladders and help minimise incidents involving ladders. Start by recording the ladder profile, labels and parts. Then capture photo evidence of damages, dents and other deformities. Lastly, rate the overall condition of the ladder and provide recommendations. Click here for more ladder safety template resources.
Use this template to ensure a stable foundation of a scaffold before working on it. Assess the risk of using a scaffold by checking the structure of the scaffold, its base, height, and dimensions. Next, inspect the components and capture photo defects. Finally, rate the overall condition of the scaffold and ensure the correct tagging is in place.
Use this template to ensure fall protection by using a safety harness when working at heights. Start by checking the labels to determine the type, model and date of manufacturer of the harness. Next, capture photos of the harness and its components (snap hooks, lanyard and tie-off adaptors/anchorages) and determine if it is in good quality before use. Complete the inspection by providing recommendations and comments.
Wearing the proper equipment reduces the possibility of falling, slipping, and tripping when working at heights. Use this working at height safety PPE checklist to describe the hazard, select suitable PPE, then check the quality of PPE and take photo for further evidence of observation. Lastly, summarize the inspection by providing recommendations.