Safety regulations changing to protect high-rise workers

Working at height is a "key killer" on Irish building sites, according to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which yesterday launched a set of guidelines for working at height.

The launch comes at a time when Dublin is set to experience a growth spurt with a raft of new high-rise buildings on the horizon.

While the general consensus in the industry is that the building sector is well equipped to build tall, the death of a construction worker in Finglas last month focused minds on the risks associated with building tall and inclement weather.

The worker died after being hit by an object during high winds and stormy weather.

Falling from a height is one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in Ireland. This type of accident claimed the lives of four workers in the construction industry in 2006 and six in 2005.

Irish builders have been building tall around the world for years and are transferring those skills to Ireland, according to property developer Ray Grehan from Glenkerrin Homes. He points to the fact that Shelbourne Development, the privately owned Irish property firm, is building the 124-floor Chicago spire, the tallest skyscraper in north America.

Andrew McGuinness, a former scaffolder and SIPTU organiser, agrees. For the most part Irish construction workers are very experienced at working at height, with many cutting their teeth on high-rise projects abroad, he says.

While the use of personal fall arrest systems (safety harnesses) and safety nets are on the increase on sites in Ireland, there is always room for more and improving training, he says.

"One problem, for example, is that many workers are not trained in how to use safety harnesses, so it is a real sink-or-swim situation," he says.

Another issue is safe access to sites and proper emergency, says McGuinness. "If an accident occurs on the 30th floor, how will the emergency services treat the worker?"

Building tall is "nothing that the industry can't handle", according to Dermot Carey, health and safety executive with the Irish Construction Federation. The biggest challenge is exposure to bad weather - builders must be aware of impending poor weather.

He reports that his department is getting an increasing number of enquiries about building tall and aviation. Builders want to know about the requirements for lighting cranes and building in areas close to planes.

The new HSA guidelines published yesterday outline new regulations, which came into effect late last year.

Now, where work at height is necessary, an employer must properly plan the work ensuring safe working conditions and fall-protection measures.

The big change, according to a spokesman for the HSA, is that prior to now "working at height" was classified as working above the two metre zone; now working from any height is covered. The new regulations also have requirements for scaffolding, collective safeguards for arresting falls and personal fall protection systems.