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Safety is an often subjective term especially in the context of someone who needs to work at heights for an extended period of time. In the construction industry where most workers will spend an average of six hours a week working at heights which are considered dangerous 'safety' means ensuring that the person does not die. There are a number of measures that can be taken in order to ensure that a person does not stumble to his or her death. Below we look at the most common measures that need to be taken regardless of industry. A two man team All work at heights should be done as a team. Ideally, there should be two people involved during any work which is done at a height above 30ft. A two man team ensures that each person is looking out for the other which prevents many of the common mistakes associated with falling. When working as a team one person needs to be a few feet lower than the other person, also each person should take turns every 30 minutes to do the required work. For instance, if the 30th floor of a building is being painted, there should be one person which stands below the person painting and the job should be rotated after 30 minutes. This reduces the instance of mistakes. A safety harness and helmet No work should be carried out at heights without being strapped into a safety harness and a helmet. A safety harness which is secured to a scaffolding or a pulley manned by another person will reduce the instance of slipping in the event the platform breaks. If work is being carried out at night the helmet needs to have a built in torch in addition to some other external source of light in order to improve visibility. However, before wearing a helmet it should be properly inspected for damage. Always wear slip proof shoes People who find themselves working at heights need to wear slip proof shoes. These shoes are often ones that are worn by construction workers and have a hard upper toe but a soft yet thick sole. This improves the grip on often slippery surfaces like glass or tile. Look down Even though many so called safety experts will say that looking down will make you dizzy it will also save your life. If you are not comfortable working at heights then you shouldn't in the first place. Looking down will help you make sure that you step carefully and spot safety signs of cracks or breaks which can cause you to fall. Get specialized training for working at heights There is no getting around the fact that the best way to work at heights is to be trained to do so. Depending on what type of work you're required to do at heights you can find the right training program aimed at teaching you the right techniques which will save your life. According to some experts training can decrease the chances of falling or getting hurt when working at tall heights by around 70%.
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