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Document No.

Alstom Group
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GDIR

en

Function Responsible:

ALSTOM_EHS_006
Security Level:

Group EHS Function

Derived from:

Replaces:

N/A

N/A

Prepared by:

Checked by:

Approved by:

2012-06-04 Heitz, Anne-Sophie

2012-06-04 Brosseau, Marie-Ange

Geffriaud,
Jean-Michel
2012-06-07
Geffriaud,
Jean-Michel

Work at Height
Document
Document
electronically
Status: Approve
released
Cross-Checked by:

Cross-Checked by:

2012-06-04 Betton, Florence


2012-06-05 Carty, Glynn

2012-06-04 Camuset, Frederic


2012-06-07 Fornage, Philippe

WORK AT HEIGHT
Alstom Directive

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.

Objective ............................................................................................................................................................ 2

2.

References ........................................................................................................................................................ 2

3.

Scope ................................................................................................................................................................. 2

4.

Abbreviations, Terms and Definitions........................................................................................................... 2

5.

Working at height Requirements ................................................................................................................... 3

6.

5.1

Work Planning................................................................................................................................................... 3

5.2

Work Execution................................................................................................................................................. 4

5.3

Work Equipment ............................................................................................................................................... 4

5.4

Management Control ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Attachments ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

INTERNAL DOCUMENT Not to be disclosed to or relied upon by any party outside ALSTOM. All rights reserved.

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AL S T O M - E H S - 0 0 6

OBJECTIVE
This document details the Alstom requirements for Work at Height.

2.

REFERENCES
-

3.

Alstom EHS Roadmap - Theme Fall Prevention


Alstom Risk Management for High Risk Activities Directive
Alstom General Instruction on Alstom Safety Directives and Zero tolerance to deviation Policy.

SCOPE
This directive provides a minimum standard to be applied by all Alstom Sectors in relation to work at
height.
The responsibility lies within the Sectors to ensure these requirements and any additional Sector
requirements to control work at height are implemented.
Where any part of this directive conflicts with, or is of a lower standard than, local regulations, the
corresponding section(s) of the local regulation shall apply.

4.

ABBREVIATIONS, TERMS AND DEFINITIONS


Abbreviation or Term
Competent
Operational
Supervisor

Definition
Person having the sufficient skills, knowledge and experience to supervise
specific duties, take prompt corrective measures to eliminate hazardous or
dangerous work conditions.

EHS

Abbreviation for Environmental, Health and Safety


Any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the earth surface that is
formed by earth removal and at least 50 cm deep.
Equipment used to prevent a person being exposed to the risk of falling.
Examples include: solid handrail or barrier, safe work platform.
Equipment used to minimise the impact of any fall from height. Examples
include:
- Individual protection: personal full body harness
- Collective protection: safety net.
Written document, which allows a person or a team to perform work at a
specific site and for a specific period of time, observing preventive and
protective measures.
Process of evaluating the risk arising from a hazard, taking into account the
adequacy of any existing controls and deciding whether or not the risk is
acceptable. (OHSAS 18001:2007)
Any opening in an existing fall prevention measure, a wall, a floor, a roof
(taking into account the potential for fragile roof materials and roof lights),
created on purpose or due to accidental reasons where a person can trip
on or fall through.
Work in any place, including a place at or below ground level and roofs,
where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. For
guidance purposes, as a minimum all work performed with a potential fall
distance of 50 cm or more shall be considered using formal documented
risk assessment to determine whether or not the fall would be likely to
cause personal injury.
Access and egress to a place of work can also be work at height. It does
not include stairways or slips or trips on the level.

Excavation
Fall prevention
measures
Fall protection
measures

Permit-to-Work (PTW)

Risk assessment

Temporary opening

Work at height

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Revision:

Abbreviation or Term

Work at height
equipment

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Definition
Includes the following items:
- Fixed and mobile scaffolds
- Mobile access platforms
- Powered access platforms: scissors, booms
- Full body harnesses
- Lanyards / Shock absorbers
- Fall stop systems
- Life lines (including anchor points)
- Karabiners
- Ladders
- Safety nets
- Staircase towers
- Personal fall arrestors
- Inertia reels.

WORKING AT HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS

Note: Requirements in bold have to be considered as the critical ones.

5.1 Work Planning


5.1.1

Work planning must consider any potential for carrying out the task in a way which does not
expose workers to the risk of falling from height.

5.1.2

A formal documented risk assessment must be undertaken and communicated to the persons
undertaking any work at height.

5.1.3

For every task where protection measures have to be used, an applicable Work at Height
Rescue Plan has to be in place before starting the work. The Plan must consider the necessary
time for rescue which, if a full body harness is used, is limited to 15 minutes. Equipment like
cranes and elevators cannot be used because of potential electrical break down or because
they are not available. This is tested as a minimum on an annual basis. The Work at Height
Rescue Plan can be a part of the Emergency Response Plan.

5.1.4

All persons working at height or supervising work at height activities must be subject to
formal competence checks to ensure necessary training, experience and qualification
prior to commencing work.

5.1.5

A Permit to Work must be established before commencing any work at height involving
the use of fall protection measures (personal full body harness, safety net, refer to
definition), exception to routine activity that is covered by a specifically designed Safe
System of Work and personal authorization (to be defined by sectors when relevant).

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5.2 Work Execution


5.2.1

Alstom must ensure that a competent operational supervisor is formally appointed to supervise
each work activity where there is a work at height.

5.2.2

Temporary floor / roof openings or excavation works are physically secured to prevent
falls.

5.2.3

When it is not possible to implement collective fall prevention measures, all persons
working at height must use a full body harness that is at all times attached to a secure
designated anchor point or a life line.

5.2.4

Risk of falling objects must be eliminated.

5.2.5

Access to areas where there is a risk of fall must be closed off and notices clearly displayed
prohibiting unauthorized access and preventing persons not connected with the works from
entering the area.

5.2.6

Fixed and portable ladders must only be used as an access to, or egress from a workplace, and
when the risk assessment has shown that the use of alternative equipment is not practicable.
When doing so, the use of ladders includes that 3 points of contact must be maintained at all
times and that the ladder must be secured top and bottom..

5.3 Work Equipment


5.3.1

All equipment used for work at height or fall prevention or protection must be uniquely
identified, listed in a register and subject to formal regular inspections, considering
scaffolds as a unique equipment and excluding permanently installed fall prevention
measures like staircases, walkways and fixed guardrails.

5.3.2

All preventive and protective equipment must be subject to a pre-use inspection by the user.

5.3.3

All defective or non-inspected equipment that is or could be used for work at height or for fall
prevention or protection must be either removed from site or physically prevented from use.

5.3.4

Each lifeline, including anchor points, must be restricted to the maximum load defined by the
manufacturer.

5.3.5

All scaffolds, work platforms and walkways used to prevent fall from height must be designed
and constructed using materials that are specifically designed for that purpose. They must be
constructed with metal frames, using floorboards and toe boards fixed at all times, with no
significant gap that could allow people to trip or fall. Staircases should be the preferred method
of access. Where not possible internal ladders should be used.

5.3.6

All barriers preventing falls from height must be at least 1.1 metres high with mid rails every
55cm as a maximum. Toe boards must be at least 0.15 metres high.

5.4 Management Control


Refer to Risk Management for High Risk Activities Directive for further Management Control requirement.

6.

ATTACHMENTS
None.

INTERNAL DOCUMENT Not to be disclosed to or relied upon by any party outside ALSTOM. All rights reserved.

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