Posted By phillipe.sleet@dsgiplc.com When using a vertical mast, would you use a safety harness/fall arrest system? If the mast is fitted with a 4 sided safety rail to prevent you from falling out (above waist height) is a harness necessary? My risk assessment when taking into account floor conditions, barriers, distance from wall to mast , i could reasonably say it would be unlikely to happen. Belt and braces to coin a phrase ! Thanks

Posted By Crim Are you talking about scissor lifts?

Posted By DaGuru Remember, provided that the work activity does not require the employee streaching out of the cradle, increasing the risk of a fall then I see no reason why a proper guard rail / mid-rail would not be suffice.

Posted By Robert K Lewis HLS Mastclimbers are no more vulnerable than scaffolds and should be protected the same way. We do not use harnesses on scaffolds so why would we think it necessary on a mast climber. Bob

Posted By Martin Mulholland I agree that harnesses should not normally be necessary but you should include in your assessment the degree of control that you have on the operation. By that I mean whether it is a multi Contractor site and levels of supervision. In my experience the hand rails are used as a method of gaining additional height and therefore this represents a serious hazard.

Posted By Robert K Lewis GT The point I was trying to raise, badly:-), was that mastclimbers need no more or less protection from traffic than a scaffold. Yes it goes up and down but so do scissor lifts and the HS do not see any need for harnesses on these. If we keep pushing the use of harnesses becasue of work from height or climbing on rails then we will be getting to a point where scaffolds use will require harnesses. Bob

Posted By james sweeney EEK! I had a similar debate some 18 months ago with a PC. I work in the glass façade sector of construction and therefore my argument was for the unnecessary slips and trip hazards caused by land-yarns and invited the HSO of the PC to come on board and view our work practises. An agreement was made that all operatives should wear a harness and fall restraint when the platform (vertical mast) was in motion but the restraint could be removed when the platform was static and no one died that day or any other day and therefore it was a happy day with many happy days to follow (job satisfaction) The “EEK” was for JMC, as I would never advise anyone to tie himself or herself to a MEWP that is at risk of overturning.

Posted By Robert K Lewis Let us be clear what IPAF state in their guidance document H10505 concerning use of harnesses, ie. Vertical Lifts It is not normally necessary for personnel working from a vertical lift to wear fall protection equipment, other than in exceptional circumstances. The equipment would include: Static Verticals (1a), Mobile Verticals (3a) and Mast Climbing Work Platforms (MC). Traversing from one point to another is not an exceptional need for the following reasons 1) A scissor lift has to be lowered to such a degree that the CoG is well within the tip over limits 2)The traversing of any MEWP across anything other than good level surface capable of taking the imposed loads is bad management practice and must not occur. Remember this is lifting equipment and so should be subject to a lifting plan that would include assessment of access routes for the equipment. In any case Mastclimbers do not traverse and there is NO indication in the IPAF document that harnesses are required during the elevation process. Bob