Health & Safety
Health and safety is the key consideration for all our clients. Highline is passionate about providing a qualified, trained and fully competent workforce. Adherence to the IRATA guidelines ensures that rope access stays the safest work at height. The system of work is fully HSE approved and complies with the legal obligations paced upon it by the The Work at Height Regulations 2005
To illustrate IRATA companies good safety practice we quote directly from Dr C H Robbins, report on the ANALYSIS OF IRATA EMPLOYMENT AND ACCIDENT STATISTICS 2007
in it the following were found;
- A 30% increase in the hours worked on ropes in 2007 against the previous year!
- A further fall in the incident rate from 1.45 to 1.22 per 100,000 hours worked - the third lowest in IRATA history despite the record number of hours worked!
- Serious injury data shown to be a fraction of those recorded in similar work sectors!
- Accident/incident cases down 23% on 2006 even though many more hours worked!
- Only one ‘fall' reported; no injury resulted!
Compare the above to the UK workforce as a whole;
According to HSE statistics 2006/2007 falls from height are still the major cause of fatality there were 3750 major injuries as the result of a fall at work in 2006/07 and 45 people died from a fall from height at work in 2006/07. http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/statistics.htm.
"Highline feel this is unacceptable and implore clients to employ IRATA member rope access companies for all their work at height"
Clients who have never used rope access frequently ask questions, such as: ‘That must be dangerous?!' or ‘Is it safe hanging up there?' or ‘How can you work on a rope?' and ‘What about the health and safety regulations?.
The answer - well managed rope access companies know the potential hazards, but identify those hazards expertly and efficiently, thus resulting in a safe system of work.
How Highline ensures Health & Safety
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By adhering to the following best practice..........
- All work at height is properly planned and organised - A risk assessment is carried out to identify the nature and level of risks associated with any work. A named competent person from Highline is appointed as a risk assessor who has an understanding of the process. The assessor will advise the client of any findings from their risk assessments. This will include risk to all site personnel, plant, property, equipment and the public.
- Those involved in work at height are trained and competent - Highline technicians are qualified under the IRATA training scheme. Each technician currently holds a valid qualification, has completed a structured training program and been independently assessed as competent in rope access at their given level. Highline technicians are qualified to levels 1, 2 & 3. A level 1 rope technician is classed as a novice and has on average, 0 – 1000 hours of rope experience. A level 2 rope technician is intermediate, with at least 2000 + hours of rope experience. The supervisory level 3 rope technician will have 3000 + hours of ropework experience; on a multitude of structures with an in depth knowledge of complex rescue scenarios and first aid.
- Adequate levels of onsite supervision - Each and every highline rope access job will be supervised by a Level 3 who has the necessary skills and experience applicable to the job. On jobs of increased complexity, work party size, or potential rescue difficulties,more than 1 level 3 may need to be present. This will be assessed in the pre work risk assessment.
- All work at height takes account of weather conditions that could endanger health and safety - Bad weather can include excessive sun, heavy rain, cold or strong winds. Strong winds will be the most common reason for halting work at height.
- Independent clear comms - On every job the provision of two way comms between all members of the highline work team is invaluable in the provision of a safe system of work and ensures all team members are aware of changing conditions and work plans.
- Daily Toolbox talks - Work plans change, its about the only thing you can rely on and highline ensure every change is communicated to each of its team so they are aware of any associted H&S issues that arise from any changes.
- Exclusion zones - Every highline job has an adequate exclusion zone beneath the work area with clear signage ensuring third party safety in the unlikely event anything be dropped from height.
- Extra work based training is given if necessary - If highline gets a job it does not have the skills for it will get the training required to complete the task safely and competently.
- All tools have lanyards, all tools over 8Kg have their own line
- Regular rescue refresher training - The very nature of the work method means that all highline technicians take part in regular rescue refresher training on a bi monthly frequency. In the unfortunate event of an emergency each team member has the capability to remove a casualty from any given situation.
- Highline technicians always work on two ropes - The basis of the safe system of work that rope access has become relies on the fact that a technician is suspended from their working line but always has a safety back up rope as well. In the unlikely event of anchor or equipment failure,the system is fail to safe to ensure worker safety.
- Rope access equipment has extemely high safety margins - The equipment used for rope access is tested, certified and fit for purpose. highline only uses the best and most suitably compliant equipment in its work. All equipment is inspected everytime it is used and the slightest defect retires equipment immediately from service.
