COURSE OVERVIEW

The course is designed to give the student the skills, knowledge, confidence, competence and understanding to work safely at height using a selection of personal protective equipment and to perform the rescue of a colleague using a reach pole system.

Even with the most robust procedures and practices in place the erection, alteration, use and dismantling of a scaffold exposes contractors and scaffolders to the risk of being struck by falling objects, such as scaffold clamps and poles. There is even a risk of scaffold collapse.

For large projects, a scaffold can be in place for a significant length of time, may be altered, for example, to provide ease of access for specific work activities. More commonly a scaffolder can sustain a fall suspended by Personal Fall Protection Equipment (PFPE), or unforeseen events such as cardiac arrests of persons whilst working at height on a working platform or those who have injuries as a result of slips, trips or pulled muscles. Such events do occur whereby immediate medical aid along with recovery and rescue should be planned for and effectively undertaken.

Since the widespread use of fall arrest equipment, consideration needs to be given to what procedure should be followed if a scaffolder falls and is suspended in their full body harness, possibly some distance away from the anchorage point and structure.

It is essential that systems of work and rescue plans, appropriate to the workplace, are set up so that appropriate rescue arrangements including equipment should always be on hand to enable an immediate and safe recovery and rescue should the need arise.

If an incident does occur, employers may require to demonstrate to the regulators that effective risk management and suitable emergency arrangements were in place. The legal requirement for rescue is specified in the Work at Height Regulations 2005 along with your primary duty of care as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The course provides information, and the various skills necessary to allow Scaffold teams to implement effective emergency intervention to situations whilst working at height in order to bring the situation to a safe and successful conclusion.

Subjects covered include legislation, creation of rescue plans, emergency arrangements, operation of rescue equipment, tactics, command and control, communications and coordination elements used in the management of work at height emergencies.

The course, a blend of theoretical and practical use of medical, rescue and Personal Fall Protection Equipment (PFPE), allows course Students the knowledge and skills they require to respond to and provide the necessary emergency intervention required whilst working at height.