Has anyone come across any innovative ideas for working on top of a portacabin? We currently have a situation where staff need to gain access to height and work off the top of a portacabin. We are unable to avoid the need to work at height, the work cannot be done from ground level and elevated, and is also impossible to do from the edge in a MEWP. I have spoken with the supplier of the portacabin to see if they have any solutions of a system that somehow would secure to the jack stay legs on the corners of the portacabin. My thoughts were on a system that would enable an intermediate rail and 950mm rail to be installed, so that there was a collective edge protection (with corner sections secured to the leg stays). I have also thought of different ways in which we could provide a rigging point to provide fall restraint, but all the system seem to fail to danger as opposed to failing to safe. Or rely on attaching to the roof structure which has no integral strength and/or requires damaging the fabric of the roof (which we hire as opposed to own). The other factor that is a consideration is that the staff only need to work on the roof for one day every 3 months. Any ideas?

You say this structure is a "Portacabin" not a steel container and is on-hire. My concerns would be: 1) the strength of the roof, taking into consideration the age of the unit and if any repairs have been carried out to the roof. 2) what work you are going to carry out on the roof and in what position, centrally one edge. 3) what weight would you put on the roof, people, equipment etc. 4) length of time you will spend on the roof. Without knowing any other details it is difficult to advise but from experience I know that "Portacabins" are not designed for the roof to take any significant weight. It may be that your safest route is a permanent scaffold structure

Still cannot see a response to the question Bob asked..."What work are they doing?" Would it be cost effective to bring a crane in and have the guys use inertia reels attached to the crane block?

According to a thread on the HSE Communities Forum: "Sheperd Construction have developed a safe system for single story container/office units, it is posted on the HSE site (construction). It may hold some suggestions." I can't find this on the HSE pages though. I guess that should read 'Shepherd Construction' - the people who kicked-off the design, supply and use of the ubiquitous "Portakabin". Worth giving them a call?

What's a "work at height risk assessment"?

A reiteration of the MHSWR Reg3. Just "Risk Assessment" then.

Ok, I'm not the sharpest blade here but why not change the cabin for one with a usable roof? Then ask the supplier if it's ok to install guards etc. Like Clarel and above, I'm intrigued by the roof work.

Clairel - welcome back - I haven't noticed your name for a while. I am trying to help but without knowing more about the reason for using a portacabin for a work at height platform all we can do is act blindly and suggest what we can. In my case it was to do a WAH risk assessment (and it is a WAH risk assessment Ron, you can call it what you like). I can not see that a portacabin would ever be suitable for a work at height platform when assessed in advance. OK one alternative would be to have the platform scaffolded in the form of a bridge over the cabin.

"We currently have a situation where staff need to gain access to height and work off the top of a portacabin" Chris added the point about using the portable building as a 'work platform' and the quote above from the OP seems to fit with this description (in the absence of an explanation of what the work actually is!). Forgive me for stating the obvious but if its a case of the portable building obstructing access to some other area, can it be relocated?