Working at height training: How should you train your team?

According to HSE, you should be taking vital steps to protect your team when working at height. One way to minimise the likelihood of an accident is through the use of a Fall Arrest System.

Therefore, to ensure your team is as safe as possible while using the PFPE you should take the time to train all members of staff. Not only should you cover what to do in an emergency, but also how to safely use and maintain the equipment.

Why is working at height training important?

Unlike any other Personal Protective Equipment that you may be used to, such as hard hats, all PFPE items are classified as a Category 3. This means that equipment such as harnesses, lanyards, or any other equipment used helps protect the wearer from a complex, or serious hazard.

Due to this, working at height (WaH) training must guarantee that the wearer has sufficient knowledge of:

• The equipment involved at WaH.

• How to correctly use and maintain it.

• Hazards that might be involved during the rescue.

Ultimately, by ensuring your team member understands all of this information and puts this into practice, they are then defined by HSE as a ‘competent person’ and therefore able to safely work at height.

All of this training is necessary, of course, as working at height could lead to a factor 2 fall. 

The fall factor is simply the distance fallen, divided by the amount of rope that can absorb the impact of the fall. Therefore, the lower the fall factor, the safer the fall will be in principle. 

As you and your team will be working at height from a significant distance, you would typically use a 1m rope, meaning that the furthest possible distance your team member could fall is 2m.

Sufficient working at height training is therefore needed as, not only do you want to prevent a fall from happening, but you need to ensure that your member of staff understands how to properly use the PFPE to limit the possibility of serious injury if a fall should occur.

To ensure your team understands the potential risks and safety measures, you should regularly train your team.

How often should I repeat working at height training?

HSE state that working at height training should be taught as soon as you and your team begin working at height. 

From here, however, it is recommended that you refresh your team at least every 6 months so you all properly understand how to use & maintain the equipment, as well as what to do in case of a fall while working at height should occur.

As an employer, you should always repeat working at height training and provide your team with refresher courses whenever you feel it is necessary. This could include instances such as:

• Whenever a new member of staff joins your team, ensure that they not only know how to work together correctly but safely.
• If someone is back after a prolonged period of absence, to make sure they’re understanding the safety measures as well as that they’re physically able to perform tasks while WaH.
• If a member of your team is not WaH correctly after initial training, retrain them until they firmly understand the Fall Arrest System you have put into place.

 

Get the no-nonsense guide to staying compliant with working at height regulations

Avoid excessive technical jargon with our simple to follow guide which will help you stay compliant without the headache.

What should good working at height training cover?

To ensure your team best understand how to work at height while also creating minimal disruption to your workday, at Lloyds British, we have found that the best way to deliver training to your team is through small groups. Segment off your team into groups of 5 or 6 people, and deliver multiple training sessions throughout the day. 

Not only does this help ensure everyone on your team understands the process, giving everyone enough time to ask questions, but also allows you to see how well your team are picking up and understanding the WaH training regulations.

To ensure that everyone understands how to best use your Fall Safety system, your working at height training should cover:

• Basic requirements of how to stay safe while WaH, as well as how to properly use and maintain the equipment, while going in-depth into impact forces.
• Fall distances, and the potential risks associated with a factor 2 fall.
• How to keep everyone safe while working at height and during a fall rescue plan.

Essentially, your working at height training session should cover everything your team needs to both feel and stay safe while WaH.

Although you can do this session internally, have you considered external training? 

Not only will this provide an unbiased view of how ready you and your team are to safety WaH, but it will also ensure that you’re getting the best, most effective training possible.

With an external partner, it’s important to learn what accreditations they have, as well as what content they’re able to offer you and your team throughout the training programme.