Guide

How is the order of controls set for work at height?

First prevent the fall, then arrest it: personal equipment is the end of the list, not its start.

The order

The first question is whether the job can be finished without working at height. If not, collective protection is put in place — guardrails, platforms, scaffolds, covers. Only where collective protection is impossible does a personal fall arrest system come in. A plan that starts with a harness has skipped the order.

The anchor point

A personal system is only as strong as what it is attached to. The anchor point must be calculated, marked and inspected; a pipe, a handrail or a random structural member is not an anchor point.

Fall clearance

The system may arrest the fall, but if the person strikes the ground or an obstacle below, the outcome is unchanged. Lanyard length, shock absorber extension, the person's height and a safety margin are added to give the free height required.

Rescue

After a fall is arrested the person hangs. The rescue plan and equipment are ready before work starts.

In Optifora

The permit module opens a work-at-height permit with anchor point, fall clearance and rescue plan steps; where a step is missing, no permit is issued.

  1. Question the needLook for a way to finish the job without working at height.
  2. Set up collective protectionPrevent falls with guardrails, platforms or scaffolds.
  3. Determine the anchor pointChoose a calculated and marked anchor point.
  4. Calculate the clearanceWork out the free height required and confirm it is sufficient.
  5. Prepare rescueHave the rescue plan and equipment ready before work starts.
  6. Open the permitOpen the permit once conditions are met and maintain supervision.

Manage this in Optifora

Optifora is not a single program but a compliance platform assembled from modules. The catalogue states which module is ready today and which is on the roadmap.

See what Optifora is