The Regulations of 2005 define work at height as being at any height, if measures required by the Regulations were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. So, working just a few centimetres above or below ground level constitutes working at height.
A job recently completed by Planet Platforms for a leading aerospace component company illustrates the point nicely.
Two tooling jigs required personnel to work approximately half a metre from the ground. Placing working platforms around each station would have been the more cost-effective method but there was a need to look beyond initial outlay costs and to longer term benefits.
In creating a dedicated work platform that made the jig working area larger, it was possible to increase productivity, as everything was brought onto one level. Fitted with non-slip aluminium decking, engineers no longer needed to position individual pieces of access equipment saving considerable time.
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“All those involved in the project we immensely pleased with the finished design. Even passing co-workers commented that the look was very impressive.”