All, I have come across an issue whereby maintenance staff have been found to be standing on machinery to access and remove hoppers for cleaning. We have ''Hugo'' lifters on site that provide adequate access for all tasks except the above. My immediate action has been to stop this activity however we still need to remove these items. A project is currently running to identify safe means of access and removal but I require a solution for the now! I'm thinking of going down the road of air bags in the interim but I'm looking for further advice and examples and also recommendations for potential suppliers. By the way the working height is approximately 1.5m

Hi Scott. Agree with Ian's comments but i would assume there is something in the way (machinery) stopping the staff from getting close enough to clean the hoppers from the Hugo. Would a scissor lift with an extending cage be suitable for the task? If the machinery they were standing on was the hindrance, this could clear it. Failing that probably air bags then restraint would be an option. The more info you can give the better.

Even at that height the Regs apply - prevention of the fall is the first goal, since falling even from that height onto an air bag is likely to cause some injury. Persons could, for instance, fall while holding tools, or maybe hit part of the machine as they fall. Have you considered very short lanyards and harnesses, anchored above and with the lanyard tight? Another thing to consider is that the machine is not a working platform.