Every year, there are serious and often fatal accidents involving falls from stages, bosun’s chair, portable ladders and others working places aloft. Furthermore, slips, trips and falls are some of the most frequent incidents onboard causing of injuries and potential loss of life.
Proper precautions should therefore always be taken to ensure personal safety when working aloft or overboard. Situational awareness, applying proper safety procedures and using the appropriate equipment are the keys to prevent such incidents.
Thus, it is advised to WATCH YOUR STEP and:
- wear suitable footwear
- clean up all spillages
- remove all obstructions
- have anti-slip surfaces
- hold handrail when using stairs
- avoid standing on unsecured objects
- use safety signage
For fall prevention, keep in mind:
ALWAYS
- Check if a Permit is required before commencing a task, understand the requirements and comply with them;
- Maintain three points of contact when climbing or working from a ladder and always hold onto the handrail on stairs;
- Plan your work and agree appropriate safety measures with your co-workers
- Check condition of fall arrestors / lines;
- Maintain situational awareness of other work being conducted around you
NEVER
- Start work without a pre-job risk assessment to identify risks and appropriate controls;
- Start work if you think that the conditions are unsafe;
- Start work if you are unclear of the safety or emergency procedures;
- Rely only on PPE; it is your last line of defence.
