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4
Potterton Solar - Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water System
1.0
General
1.1
Safety information
In order to reduce the number of deaths and major
accidents attributable to work at height, the Health
and Safety Executive has introduced comprehensive
regulations and guidance that should be followed by
all businesses working at height.
We consider in the following paragraphs some of the
main features of the regulations and guidance.This is,
however, only a limited summary and it is recommended
that all businesses planning on undertaking solar water
heating installations obtain a copy of the regulations and
guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive and
carefully consider the contents.
The regulations and guidance state that you are required
to carry out a risk assessment for all work conducted at
height and to put in place arrangements for:
• Eliminating or minimising risks from work at height.
• Safe systems of work for organising and performing
work at height.
• Safe systems for selecting suitable work equipment.
• Safe systems for protecting people from the
consequences of work at height.
The regulations and guidance highlight a
hierarchy for safe work at height:
• Avoid the risk by not working at height if practicable.
• Prevent falls, where it is not reasonably practicable
to avoid work at height; you are required to take suitable
and sufficient steps to prevent the risk of a fall including
selecting the most suitable work equipment (in accordance
with the regulations).
• Mitigate the consequences of a fall; where the risk
of a person or object falling still remains, take suitable
and sufficient measures to minimise the distance and
consequences of any fall.
Collective protection measures, such as guard rails on
scaffold, should be given priority over personal protection
measures, such as safety harnesses.
Within the regulations' framework, you are required to:
1) Assess the risk to help you decide how to work safely.
2) Follow the hierarchy for safe work at height (i.e. avoid,
prevent and mitigate).
3) Plan and organise your work properly, taking account
of weather conditions and the possibility of emergencies.
4) Make sure those working at height are competent.
5) Make use of appropriate work equipment.
6) Manage the risks from working on or around fragile
surfaces and from falling objects.
7) Inspect and maintain the work equipment to be used
and inspect the place where the work will be carried out
(including access and egress).
When preparing to install a solar water heating system, it
is required that you perform a risk assessment in relation
to work at height and plan how you will organise your
work, taking into account the site, the weather conditions
and the experience and competence of colleagues or
contractors who may be working at height with you.
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