According to statistics released from HSE (Health and Safety Executive), working at height is one of the biggest causes of incidents and fatalities in the construction industry. The main causes are from falling off ladders, and through roofs. Does your job require you to frequently work at a height? Are you looking to gain the correct qualifications in order to carry out this type of work?
If you answered yes, then find out more below about our NPORS N404 Working at Height course.
WHAT DOES WORKING AT HEIGHT MEAN?
For anyone already working in the construction industry, or looking to get into this sector, it’s important to know exactly what working at height means. Anyone undertaking the following type of work is considered to work from a height:
- Working above the ground level
- There’s a risk of falling from an edge, or through a surface or opening
- There’s a chance of falling from ground level to a lower level, for example a hole or opening
Although construction sites illustrate all of these scenarios, professions such as a window cleaner, scaffolders, or even theatre technicians are required to work on structures above ground level.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO CORRECT INSPECT A SAFETY HARNESS?
PPE is absolutely vital for anyone that is working at height. Workers can expect to use anything from fall arrest locks, restraint lanyards and even safety harnesses. It is incredibly important to know how to use these types of safety equipment, and how to check them over correctly before work is carried out.
As with all PPE, a harness will need to be carefully inspected by a highly qualified, and trained person. Checks should be carried out before every use, as well as more in depth checks by HSE or by the company in principle.
Workers can expect the following physical inspections to be completed:
Label
All harnesses will have a label that will include a serial number, as well as valid inspection and manufacturing dates.
Webbing
If working at a height outside, UV damage is common. This will affect the longevity of the equipment, as it can leave the harness brittle and hardened. Webbing must not have any cracks, cuts, and fraying material. It is also vital that even loose stitching is checked and repaired if required.
Straps
The straps on a harness will be inspected to check for loose stitching, fraying and any broken materials.
Buckles
Anyone using a harness should connect up the buckles to ensure they aren’t bent, broken or disfigured. The harness should hang correctly, if not this could be an indication that the equipment is unsafe to use.
Loops
Checks are completed to ensure they aren’t damaged, cracked or even broken.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when working at a height. Workers should get into the habit of checking every section of the harness in detail, taking their time to rectify any issues. If you want to know how to correctly use and check a harness, we would strongly recommend pairing the working at height course with our NPORS N723 Harness and Fall Arrest course.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO LEARN ON THE NPORS WORKING AT HEIGHT COURSE?
The advantage of booking onto our NPORS Working at Height course is that it can be completed in half a day.
Individuals can expect to cover:
- Explain what is meant by the term ‘working at height’
- Identify the appropriate PPE that is often required when working at height
- Identify the different types of equipment that can be used when working at height
- Demonstrate an understanding of the safe practices that should be followed when working at height
- Understand the unsafe situations that can occur when working at height, and knowing how to avoid them
Once the course has been completed, the qualification will be valid for 3 years. After this time, a refresher course will be required. The full course details can be found on our website.
OTHER NPORS TRAINING COURSES AVAILABLE
Not only do we offer the NPORS N404 Working at Height course available, we also run a range of construction related courses:
- Excavator courses
- Roller courses
- Dumper courses
- Telehandler courses
- First aid & Heath and Safety courses
If your job requires you to work at a height, we would strongly recommend pairing this course up with our First Aid course. Due to the nature of the construction industry, you’ll never know when you’ll need the safety knowledge.
We are open from 8am – 6pm Monday to Sunday. If you would like to book onto our courses, we can arrange a date and time to suit you or your company.
WHERE IS THE DIGGERLAND PLANT TRAINING SCHOOL?
Our training centres are based at our sister company, Diggerland. With 3 UK based locations in Kent, Durham and Yorkshire, you’ll never be far away from an NPORS training centre.
Being based at a popular theme park, we have access to a wide variety of construction machinery, and a large training area.
For companies with a qualified trainer, but no access to training space, we can also assist. We have 3 classrooms to choose from, as well as a fantastic training area, that are all available to hire. Interested? Find out more on our website.
BOOK YOUR CONSTRUCTION COURSES TODAY
Any aspiring operators looking to take the next step in their career, or want to simply refresh their knowledge, we’re here to help.
If you’re looking to book onto any of our construction courses, in particular our NPORS N404 Working at Height course, we have instructors on hand readily available.
Please feel free to email us today if you have any questions, or you can give us a call on: 01634 295355 to discuss our NPORS training courses in detail.
We are now taking bookings for course dates in 2022, so be sure to contact us as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!
