Posted By Dave Merchant
Realistically the solution is to use a trestle with a guard-rail along the back. They are available from several suppliers, but of course they cost a lot more than a couple of planks. On a construction site with someone else doing tube-n-fitting, you can make your own - but in your case they'd need to buy or hire something.

Posted By Carolyn L
This may be of interest as a "quick fix" solution http://www.staybills.com/assembly.html

Alternatively Razordeck produce a self erecting tower which is very easy to use and move round and can be adjusted for working a varying heights http://www.razordeck.co.uk/

Carolyn

Posted By Dave Merchant
Raymond - if you thumb through the HSE inspector notes for the WAHR you'll find working from unguarded trestles, even a few feet up, is a prohibition notice offence. It's not the height of the fall, but the way people fall - they're most likely to tip backwards and land head-first, so spinal injuries are expected.

You can have unguarded trestles on site for other purposes (carrying materials, etc.) but in terms of standing on them, as the construction press headlines said back in 2005; "trestles are now banned".

Posted By Raymond Rapp
Dave

Thanks, I just knew someone would make a similar comment. However, I am not aware of the PN you refer to but I am aware of the following HSE advice:

'Below 2 metres, assess risk, take pragmatic approach. Sensible precautions which reflect actual risk'. I assessed the risks.

'Low trestle eg 1 metre high, with grass surface surface below, may justify no fall fall prevention/protection as risk of injury is unlikely'. Wet concrete, injury unlikely.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/downloads/1and2.pdf

By the way, we don't ban the use of ladders either on our site - 'Encourage the appropriate use of ladders'.

Ray

Posted By Peter F
How is it that the higher someone is working the easier the solutions seem to be.