Fall Protection Plan For Work At Height

Implementing a Fall Protection Plan For Work At Height.

1.   A fall protection plan is a site specific plan that is designed to be integrated into the Safety and Health Management System. It provides a systematic approach towards eliminating or reducing the risk of falling from height by ensuring that all reasonable fall protection measures and methods have been taken prior to the commencement of the work.
2. All workplaces engaged in activities that require workers to work at height shall develop and implement a fall protection plan to ensure the safety of the workers during their course of work.
3. The fall protection plan is to be developed by a competent person. Provisions must also be made for adequate supervision to ensure that the plan is being implemented at the workplace.
4. The fall protection plan shall be monitored and reviewed periodically to ensure its relevancy and effectiveness. It is also required to be properly documented and kept readily available at the workplace.

Components of a Fall Protection Plan For Work At Height.

The fall protection plan should be customised to address the unique conditions at individual workplaces.

A comprehensive fall protection plan should include (but not be limited to) the following components.
a) Policy for fall protection
b) Responsibilities
c) Hazard identification and risk assessment
d) Control measures/methods
e) Procedures
f) Personal fall protection equipment
g) Inspection and maintenance
h) Training
i) Incident investigations
j) Emergency preparedness

Policy for Fall Protection  For Work At Height.

• A policy for fall protection will set clear and unambiguous terms on the organisation’s approach and commitment towards fall prevention.
• Top management with executive or site responsibility shall define, endorse and document its policy for fall protection. The policy for fall protection shall be appropriate to the needs, nature and scale of the organisation’s activities and work at height risks.
• The organisation shall establish a policy which demonstrates its commitments to prevent falls from height incidents, comply with applicable legal and other requirements.
• It is important that the policy for fall protection is understood, implemented and maintained at all levels of the organisation. The policy for fall protection should be reviewed periodically and amended as and when necessary.