Working at height means, among other things, working on scaffolding, building structures, ceilings, chimneys, ladders or other elevations at a height of at least 1.0 m above ground or floor level.
Work at height does not include work on a surface, irrespective of the height at which the worker is located, if the surface is enclosed on all sides to a height of at least 1.5 m by solid walls (including windows) or is equipped with other permanent structures or devices to protect workers against falls from height.
Polish and European health and safety legislation obliges employers of people working at height to provide appropriate fall protection measures.
Falling from height is a frequent cause of accidents, generally serious or fatal. Working at height is a particularly hazardous job, endangering the life and health of workers, which is why the personal protective equipment belonging to this group is classified as Category III. Exceptional precautions must be taken when working at height due to the high degree of risk to the health and life of workers.
Only workers who:
- are familiar with the occupational risks of the work to be performed
- are provided with personal protective equipment to perform such work
- have a current medical certificate stating that there are no contraindications to working at height
have received training in occupational health and safety and have received job-specific instruction on the specific nature of work at height and the risks inherent in the workplace. The following are permitted to perform work at height.
According to the requirements of the harmonised standard EN 365 "Personal protective equipment against falls from a height. General requirements for instructions for use, maintenance, periodic tests, repair, marking and packaging", periodic inspections of the equipment must be carried out every year after use.
LIST OF STANDARDS
EN 362 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height - Connectors. Requirements, test methods, marking and information supplied by the manufacturer for connectors are given. Connectors complying with this standard are used as connecting elements in personal fall protection systems, e.g. fall arrest positioning at work, work with linear protection, restraint systems and rescue systems.
EN 355 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height - Energy absorbers. Requirements, test methods, marking rules, information required from the manufacturer and packaging of shock absorbers are given.
EN 361 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height - Full body harnesses. Requirements, test methods, marking rules, information required from the manufacturer and packaging method for harnesses are given.