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PPE For Working At Height: Keeping Your Workers Safe

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is an integral part of working at height safety. Without the proper protective gear and systems in place, you risk personal injury through workplace accidents – and in the worst cases could even face fatalities on site.

At Altus Safety our height safety team is well placed for ensuring you have the right protective equipment in place to improve the safety of your site. We offer a range of PPE products to ensure worker safety.

Contact our team today to find out what PPE you need on your site for maximum safety.

Why is PPE for working at height necessary?

Whenever someone at your site or building is working above ground level in the UK, two key regulations come into force:

Work at Height Regulations – 2005: This piece of legislation governs working at height safely and makes it the employer’s responsibility to conduct an appropriate and thorough working at height risk assessment before work begins. It then encourages employers to provide the appropriate fall protection or fall arrest system to reduce the significant risks involved in working at height. And finally, it says that appropriate PPE for working at height must be provided and available at all times to workers carrying out work at height.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations – 2022: This adds further support to the work at height regulations by narrowing in on personal protective equipment (PPE). It makes clear that the equipment should be suitable for the task at hand. It says that the specific equipment required for the task should be maintained to a good standard and be in a fit condition for use. And it also says that PPE should only be used by individuals with the appropriate training in place.

Personal Protection Equipment: What Altus Can Offer

We work with a range of commercial and industrial customers, from shopping centres to construction sites and more, offering individual and collective protection with our range of protective systems. Alongside those systems we also offer safety gear and equipment designed to satisfy all working at height regulations.

Choose from:

Harnesses
Lanyards and work positioning systems
Fall arrest blocks
Travelling devices
Rescue equipment

Unsure what you need at your site? Contact our team today and we’ll listen to your concerns and provide you with the reassurances and PPE you need to protect your workers in the most effective way. With a proper working at height risk assessment, we’ll cover all bases!

We don't just supply PPE - We inspect it too!

All PPE, like the fall protection systems they accompany, must be inspected regularly to ensure they are still fit for purpose. We can carry out a detailed inspection of your PPE to reassure you that they’re still capable of doing the job they’re designed for: protecting everyone on your site.

Regular inspections are a must, of everything from the fall arrest lanyards and harnesses we provide to generic hard hats designed to protect from falling objects. Over time, PPE can become damaged or worn because of extended use, improper care and exposure. Use our PPE inspection service to ensure your equipment is up to date, fully compliant with the latest regulations, and safe for your workers to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of fall protection equipment?

Fall protection equipment can be made up of several different pieces of kit that are all vital in helping prevent falls from occurring in the first place. Some key pieces of equipment include:

safety harness – often used with self retracting lifelines and secure anchor points to prevent a fall from occurring, these full body harnesses are a key part of safety line systems designed to protect workers at height
lanyards – safety lanyards act as shock absorbers should a fall happen and are often connected to safety harnesses and safety lines to prevent the shock of a fall from causing injuries
edge protection – temporary and permanent forms of edge protection like freestanding or fixed guardrails are another example of fall protection that act as a physical barrier to falls, protecting workers at height
rescue equipment – every risk assessment before a job should feature a rescue plan should a fall take place, and having the appropriate rescue equipment in place is key to reducing the stress of a fall and getting the fallen worker back into a safe position as quickly as possible

What are some examples of fall arrest system PPE?

Fall arrest systems focus less on preventing the fall and more on reducing the impact of that fall. Things like safety nets under fragile roofs or skylights can be a great way of protecting workers on roofs and those below should the surface give out or the fall protection system in place fail.

How much maintenance does PPE require?

Maintenance is important and most safety systems and PPE should be thoroughly checked and inspected by a professional maintenance team every 6 to 12 months according to the relevant height regulations that govern that equipment.

But regular everyday maintenance should be a part of your workers routine too. From pre-use checks to post-use checks and proper storage to the removal of old or worn equipment, these are all things you can do as the site’s safety manager to ensure compliance with height safety laws.

Featured Case Studies

Aquatics Centre

Client: KIER
Site Name: Manchester Aquatics Centre
Value: £96,000
Sector: Retail
Product Details: Aluminium Walkways, Fixed
Guardrail

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Bristol City Football Club

Client: Bristol City Football Club
Site Name: Bristol City Football Club –
Training Ground
Value: £7,000 Sector: Sport
Product Details: Horizontal Safety Systems

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Royal Arsenal

Client: Berkeley Group
Site Name: Royal Arsenal Riverside
Value: £68,000 Sector: Residential
Product Details: Davit Arms & Davit Sockets,
Freestanding Guardrail

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Hinkley Point

Client: Premier Modular
Site Name: Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power
Station
Value: £180,000 Sector: Infrastructure
Product Details: Freestanding Guardrail,
Horizontal Safety Systems, Fixed Access
Ladders, Anti Slip Roof Walkways

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Johnny Walker

Client: BAM
Site Name: Johnny Walker Experience
Value: £25,000
Sector: Leisure
Product Details: Abseiling Anchors, Ladder Ties & Ladder Restraints, Horizontal Safety Systems, Fixed Access Ladders, Stepover Platforms Walkway, Skylight Protection

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Finsbury Tower

Client: mace
Site Name: Finsbury Tower, London
Value: £21,000
Sector: Commercial
Product Details: Davit Arms & Davit Sockets

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Beginner’s Guide To BS 7883:2019

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I have had the pleasure of dealing with Altus over the last three years. They are a very professional and complete company. At times we tested their patience to I'm sure the absolute limits, but never once did they falter in their service. Michaela and the team are outstanding.

We have been involved in a number of projects now and I remain as confident as ever that they are fast becoming an industry leader in their field... Altus are determined, honest, professional, ethical, flexible sustainably minded and importantly great value for money... Give them a fair chance and you will not be disappointed.

We have only recently started working with Altus Safety but have found them to be friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. Looking forward to continuing to work together in the future!

Quality service and prompt response with good customer service to ensure our facilities are safe without any compromises Well detailed in the safety inspection and certification. Looking forward to more engagement

Altus took over an existing system at our factory we already had in place and have also completed new a installation in the passed 3 years. We also have used Altus for projects offsite. Staff are very friendly and all paperwork / certification quickly issued after testing. I would have no hesitation in recommending Altus.