 
Environmental Briefing Note 2006-01
Inspection of Working Platforms - Emissions Monitoring
Following the introduction of the Working at Height Regulations, Cti environmental are contacting all Members to inform them of some of the issues concerning work at height for the Cti environmental team. The emphasis will be on sites where Cti environmental carry out emissions monitoring work but it may also affect the way LEV testing, noise surveys and COSHH sampling is carried out.
The Working at Height (WAH) Regulations 2005 came into force in April 2005 and apply to all industries. The regulations deal with all working platforms (scaffolding and permanent platforms), fragile surfaces (e.g. roofs), and any ladders, gangways and stairways used to get to the elevated workplace. The regulations put a number of responsibilities on employers to ensure that working at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
The new regulations bring attention to the requirement for every working platform to be inspected such that “the surface and every parapet, permanent rail or other such fall protection measure of every place of work at height are checked on each occasion before the place is used”. And for every working platform where a person could fall 2 metres or more, an inspection should be carried out within 7 days prior to the platform being used. The regulations state that the term ‘inspection’ “means such visual or more rigorous inspection by a competent person as is appropriate for safety purposes”.
The STA’s guidance on inspection of the platforms suggests that an initial assessment should take place on every permanent elevated platform by a competent person such as a structural engineer and then an additional survey of the platform no more than 7 days prior to use by another competent person. The subsequent inspections may be performed by a competent person (who may be employed by the site operator) to visually inspect the platform to see whether it has deteriorated over time. Additional inspections are required following exceptional circumstances such as particularly bad weather or an impact from a vehicle etc.
Failure to observe this safety requirement means that sampling will not conform to the Standard method BS EN 13284: 2002 or our MCERTS and UKAS accreditation. It will also be a breach of the health and safety obligations of both Cti and the client company under the requirements of the Working at Heights Act 2005.
The aim of this briefing note is to give prior warning of this requirement in advance of your next monitoring date so that appropriate inspections can be made.
Where Member companies have concerns regarding their current access arrangements, Cti will be happy to provide advice on any modification, which may be required.
Further details on these requirements can be found using the following references and links, otherwise contact Bill Green or myself to discuss further.
- CEN Standard 13284 Part 1: 2002
- Source Testing Association Work at Height Guidance Note WAH 1
www.s-t-a.org/
Files%20Public%20Area/H&S/WAH%20001%20Inspection%20of%20Permanent%
20Elevated%20Working%20Platforms.pdf
Jon Donohoe
Manager – Environmental Services
8 May 2006
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