Hello Garratt Working from trailers can be done, provided that there is Safe means of Access / Egress & suitable Edge Protection. However if you can get a Trailer into the area, then surely some sort of mobile access scaffold tower that can be Struck & Erected when needed. As for inertia reels, without using the Crane Hook, maybe consider introducing Anchor Points in the Frame of the Building. Ensure that the Anchors are installed by a suitable contractor who will issue a Pull Test certificate & not forgetting the training / inspection regime for the reels / harnesses.

The building is an old tank (circular), so we are unable to attach anything to the structure. the machine is in the middle of the workshop. although I will look for specialists that install these. Loading the plant onto the trailers and low loaders is carried out in the yard area and not in the workshop. I was just wondering if anyone worked in the heavy plant industry that could share their knowledge and experience in working at height and the controls they have implemented as there doesn't seem to be one solution. thank you

Possibly consider using the large air filled bags used on construction sites to reduce the working height?

If you are getting to the point of using PPE as a last line of defence you may well have to look at having horizontal lifelines fitted to the building which you could clip your harness to and move freely around BUT this then will create you another problem of having to find a suitable rescue plan .

Look at the Sale EZ Line, this is what we use and if you have got an overhead crane then you can use beam clamps to create temporary anchor points and use an intertia reel from the EZ Line.

There's nothing on the frame its self to help affect a rescue. For the most part we use them with an inertia reel rather than a fall arrest block, ie a fallen person would be lowered safely the the ground by the inertia reel rather than suspended in mid air. In a situation where inertia reel isn't suitable, because there's an additional hazard below for example, we do have fall arrest blocks. Rescue arrangements in that situation is a set of aircraft steps which an additional member of staff will push under the suspended person allowing them to step up to release the fall arrest block and walk down the stairs. There is also a tag line on the fall arrest line to allow a suspended casualty to be pulled out to the edge of the gantry to ensure the steps can always be positioned under them. So our solution is part equipment, part staffing and training. Hope that helps,