HEIGHT SAFETY AND BUILDING CONSULTING
Why you need a consultant
Having a consultant will ensure you have professional expert advise for your Height Safety or Building Maintenance requirements. Taking out the guess work and receiving a detailed and knowledgeable approach to each scope of works is an investment. This consulting advise will initially come at a cost however you will reap the benefits in the long run.
At OneVision, we offer Height Safety and Building Consulting services.
Height Safety Consulting will ensure the following:
- The end user of a height access safety system such as trades person or technicians can gain safe access to the roof, facade or structure.
- Your roof, facade or structure are compliant with the Code of Practice for Managing the Risk of Falls At Workplaces
When it comes the Height Safety there are no second chances and ensuring the lives of the end users of Height Safety and Access system is our number ONE priority.
Building Consulting will provide a highly personalized service, a single point of contact for all projects and a
commitment to maximising return on investment. To ensure you are working within the Home Building ACT 1989.
The OneVision Advantage
Whether its height safety or building consulting, a single point of contact for clients and contractors is provided to ensure effective communication and seamless progress. We also following methods-- technical or an industry standard, which provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety with the WHS Act and Regulations.
HEIGHT SAFETY CONSULTING
Model Code of Practice - Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
The Model Code of Practice is developed to provide practical guidance to persons conducting a business or undertaking, including those persons who design, construct, import, supply or install plant or structures, on how to manage health and safety risks arising from falls. It also includes information on a range of control measures to eliminate or minimise the risks.
This is applicable to all workplaces covered by the WHS Act and Regulations applying in a jurisdiction where there is a risk of a fall by a person from one level to another that is reasonably likely to cause injury.
With the release of Code of Practice for Managing The Risk Of Falls At Workplaces, there are still several companies unaware of its effect on their businesses and the steps needed to ensure compliance.
To prepare for safe work at heights, we've discussed the changes and its implications for workplaces below.
As each state has had its own set of legislation for height safety, stratas and companies need a consistent height safety solution for sites across Australia. This is governed by the Model Occupational Health & Safety Laws (OHS laws).
The fatalities from July 2015 until March 2016 is more than 10% related to failure in fall prevention. Compliance to the safety codes is more relevant than ever.
Responsibility now falls on PCBU or what the new model Work Health and Safety Act calls the Person Conducting a Business Undertaking (PCBU). The PCBU may be the landlord, tenant, director, site foreperson or manager of an enterprise or site. The WHS Act emphasizes people taking steps that are within their control to reduce risks in the workplace. It is a proactive way of ensuring safe access for all works being done. This way, responsibility comes from everyone involved not just having to pass the buck.
The limit at a height of 2 metres or more from the National Code of Practice for Fall Prevention and State-based legislation will be replaced with an obligation to minimise the likelihood of a fall from any height.
Applying the hierarchy of control in Regulation 34-38
A major change for PCBUs in NSW, Queensland and South Australia will be the five-level hierarchy of control. The five-level system takes human behaviour into account and cost-effectively deals with risk reduction. It reduces the risk of falls and lowers the cost of control measures by calling for higher order controls like walkways and guardrails. The commonly used lower order controls like administrative controls or procedures is just tedious with documentation and maintenance.
Preventing suspension trauma through rescue
Regulation 80 indicates that 'A person conducting a business or undertaking who implements a fall-arrest system as a measure to control risk must establish emergency and rescue procedures. The procedures must be tested so that they are effective. Workers must be provided with suitable and adequate information, instruction and training in relation to the emergency procedures.'
The draft code details the consequences of being suspended in a harness for period of time, alerts the reader to the likelihood of death by suspension and explains the requirements for rescue training, supervision, training and practicing rescues.
In a nutshell, nobody should use a fall arrest system unless there is at least one other person on site to rescue them if they fall. The second trained person must be on standby to execute the rescue without relying on any assistance from the suspended person.
The costs of training, supervision and rescue equipment together with the labour cost of working in a harness significantly increases.
Regular inspections for ladders
Based on the model code, regular inspection of ladders and maintenance is now required. This may then increase the cost of ladder use and likely encourage users towards higher order controls like scaffold and elevated working platforms.
Australian standards is a legal requirement
AS/NZS1657 (Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders—Design, construction and installation) has been referenced in the new Code of Practice. Referenced standards are collective knowledge of industry experts and are also admissible in a court of law as evidence of what is required.
AS/NZS1891 covering industrial fall arrest systems and devices -- Harnesses and ancillary equipment has also been widely referenced.
How to prepare for the model regulations
Begin by making sure the height safety at your building or structure is compliant with the existing height safety laws. To address this, get a specialist or expert to save resources.
Consult an expert
Our team of height safety specialists can guide you through everything you need to know regarding your height safety systems and how it will be effected by changes in the Code Of Practice. From site inspections to equipment audits and compliance certification, we can help to ensure that your building and equipment is legally compliant.
Contact us today at 1300 552 984 to speak to a member of our team or alternatively, arrange an inspection.
BUILDING CONSULTING
Our approach is to partner with clients to understand their project requirements and to bring a combination of expertise together to develop and implement asset solutions for a wide range of building projects. A highly personalised service, a single point of contact for all projects and a commitment to maximising return on investment are our norm.
The OneVision Advantage
With our expertise and experience, OneVision is able to accurately review and assess physical faults or problems in buildings. We are then able to recommend the most economical method of remedial action, schedule required works and include, if necessary, a specification of works to be used for calling competitive prices from repair contractors.
The allocation of the right contractor, coordination of site works, administration and financial control of the repair usually represents the next stage of our consult process. Upon completion of the work, we would arrange service rendering and reports to handover to the client.