8.3 Scaffolds, Inspections, Harnesses & Protecting People Below

8.3 Scaffolds, Inspections, Harnesses & Protecting People Below

Falls from height are the biggest single cause of fatal injuries in construction, and the ECS revision guide puts them at around half of all site deaths. Section 8.1 covers the legal hierarchy and edge protection, and section 8.2 covers ladders, towers and MEWPs. This section deals with the scaffolds electricians work from every day, the inspection rules that keep them safe, the correct use of harnesses, and the duty to protect people below.

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Working from Scaffolds

Scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled only by competent scaffolders, working to a recognised standard configuration (such as the NASC TG20 guidance) or a specific design. Electricians use scaffolds but must never alter them:

• Never remove guardrails, toe boards, brick guards, ties or boards to make your job easier. If something is in the way, ask for the scaffold to be adapted by the scaffolders.
• Check the scaffold tag at the access point before you go on. A tag showing the scaffold is safe to use, with a current inspection date, means it has been inspected; a "do not use" tag, or no tag at all, means stay off.
• Do not overload platforms with cable drums, containment or tools beyond the load class the scaffolder has stated.
• Keep platforms clear of offcuts and packaging, which cause trips and can fall.

Access is normally by a ladder tower or stair. A ladder used to reach a scaffold platform must be tied and must extend at least 1 metre above the landing, to give a secure handhold as you step on and off.

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Inspection Rules Under the Work at Height Regulations

Regulation 12 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 sets inspection duties for work equipment. For construction work, the key rule is:

A working platform from which a person could fall 2 metres or more must not be used unless it has been inspected by a competent person within the previous seven days, and a report has been prepared and given to the person for whom the inspection was carried out, such as the site manager.

Inspections are also required:

• After installation or assembly in any position, before it is first used.
• After exceptional circumstances that could affect safety, such as high winds, flooding, accidental damage or alteration.
• At suitable intervals set by the risk assessment.

The same seven-day rule applies to mobile towers used for construction work where someone could fall 2 m or more, and a tower must be checked by a competent person after it has been moved and before it is used again.

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Moving a Mobile Tower

HSE guidance gives a clear sequence before a tower is moved:

1. Reduce the platform height to a maximum of 4 m.
2. Check there are no power lines or other obstructions overhead.
3. Check the ground is firm, level and free from potholes.
4. Make sure no people or materials are on the tower.
5. Push or pull it by hand from the base only, and never move it in windy conditions.

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Using a Harness Correctly

A harness is personal fall protection, the lowest level of the hierarchy. It is used only when a safer working platform cannot be provided, but in that situation you must use one:

• If you have to work at height and it is not possible to erect a scaffold or use a working platform or MEWP, you must wear a harness and lanyard at all times while exposed to the risk. Working without fall protection because a mate is with you, or because it is not windy, is never acceptable.
• If your task requires a full body harness and one is not available, stop work and tell your supervisor you do not have the correct PPE. Never borrow an unchecked harness or improvise one from items found on site.
• Attach only to an anchor point designed or verified for the purpose. In a MEWP basket, use the designated anchor point inside the platform, never the boom, a nearby pipe or the structure you are working on.
• Inspect the harness and lanyard before each use: look for cut or burnt webbing, damaged stitching or buckles, and an energy absorber that has deployed.
• There must be a rescue plan. A person left hanging in a harness can suffer suspension trauma, so rescue must be quick.

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Wind and MEWPs

If you are asked to operate a cherry picker when it is very windy, your first consideration is whether the wind speed makes it unsafe to use the machine. Check the manufacturer's maximum wind speed and measure it with an anemometer where required. The priority is to eliminate the risk by not working in dangerous conditions, rather than relying on a harness or warmer clothing.

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Protecting People Below

When working above public areas or other workers, the danger of falling materials must be considered before and during the work:

• Set up exclusion zones with barriers and signs below the work.
• Use toe boards, brick guards, debris netting or fans on scaffolds.
• Keep fixings in pouches and use tool lanyards for hand tools.
• Never throw materials down; use a chute or lower them in a controlled way.

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ECS Exam Focus

• Most deaths on construction sites are caused by falls from height.
• A scaffold tower must be erected by a trained and competent person.
• The top guardrail must be at least 950 mm above the edge.
• A platform where you could fall 2 m or more must have been inspected within the previous seven days.
• Reduce a tower to 4 m before moving it.
• No platform possible: wear a harness and lanyard at all times.
• In a MEWP basket, attach to the anchor point inside the platform.