Hi All

We are a sub-contractor for a large water utilities company, we have to clean out large wells and therefore to gain access to these wells large covers have to be opened, from this there is the obvious risk of fall from height and some of these can be VERY deep. We have SSOW and restraint lanyards BUT there are no fixing points to attach them to? Some of these wells can be in isolated areas such as fields etc. My point is that surely the water utilities company has a duty of care to provide a fixing point for us to carry out the work safely. If so what legislation can I use to explain that they are required to adhere to please. Thank you

Shaun

See below from Schedule 5 part 1 of Works at height regs

"3. A personal fall protection system designed for use with an anchor shall be securely attached to at least one anchor, and each anchor and the means of attachment thereto shall be suitable and of sufficient strength and stability for the purpose of supporting any foreseeable loading. "

All works at height should be subject to a risk assessment and this should have shown that without any anchor points to fix the lanyards to they are useless. The risk assessment is deficient and so is the safe system of work. Speak to your companies H&S people and as them to re-visit this.

Regards

I don't believe the client company has that specific duty, but they should be concerned that their appointed contractor doesn't have a safe system of work (now there's a contentious term!)

The tripod rescue assembly is presumably a non-starter, as you wouldn't be able to lift the covers with this in the way.

Mobile works = vehicle involved = provide appropriate anchor on the vehicle, with appropriate positioning.
My presumption being that members of the public etc. are prevented from accessing the area - although watching news footage of a water main burst in Glasgow the other day it seems that's not always the case with Utilities - the TV crew were within what should have been a closed-off HERAS fence area.

I think there may be similarities in the court case "General Cleaning Contractors Ltd .v. Christmas (1953)" which involved a window cleaner who had to hold onto the outside of a window to clean them. He had a "safety belt" but there were no hooks to attach to.

One day he fell and the employer was successfully prosecuted for no safe system of work as has been mentioned.

Haven't googled this so don't know if there is info available on the net... Can give a little more if required!

A bit of advice for using vehicles as anchor points:

DONT unless you really have to!!

If you really must, advice from a learned Chap:



1 Only anchor to vehicles as a last resort
2 Only anchor to structural elements (axles, chassis beams)
Never attach to towing eyes or sling underneath a tyre u Never attach to mounted equipment (ladders, etc.)
3 Protect rope/slings from grease and oil where possible
Immobilise vehicle as much as possible (put a sign on the steering wheel with cable ties!!)
4 apply handbrake
5 remove keys

Cars: loop a rope or strop under body & through side windows.
Apply the load sideways & ensure edge of glass is not being crushed.
1 chock wheels
2 cover steering wheel
3 If vehicle is keyless, appoint a safety officer to remain with it at all times
4 Ensure the vehicle won’t have to be moved!

Phil