Rating
Thanks for your email from June asking if the Soft Landing System is an acceptable fall injury prevention system and if that system fits the intent of the WA OSH Regulations. Before I answer your questions I need to clarify a few points about legal requirements in WA. As you are aware WorkSafe WA enforces the occupational Safety and Health Act and Regulations to ensure safe workplaces in WA. There are number of regulations related specifically to working at heights and the application of the Soft Landing System. I will summarise some of them below. Regulation 3.48 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996, defines a "fall injury prevention system" as a system designed to: (a) arrest a person's fall from one level at a workplace to another; and (b) minimise the risk of injury or harm to a person who falls from one level at a workplace to another. Regulation 3.49 requires a risk assessment to be conducted and control measures to be in place to reduce the risk of falling from one level to another (regardless of how high the edge is). Regulation 3.55 states, among other things, that the main contractor, employer, self employed person or the person having control of the workplace must ensure that a fall injury prevention system is provided and in operation whenever there is a risk that a person could fall 2 or 3 metres depending of the type of edge on which a person is working. So, returning to your question, I believe the Soft Landing System complies with the intents of the Occupational Safety Act and Regulations by ensuring that a fall injury prevention system is in place to minimise the risk of an injury after a fall. It is important to note that a specific site risk assessment must be conducted to address site specific issues and to ensure all workers are aware of the way of installing and maintaining the Soft Landing System.
Lucio Figueiredo
Read more
Read less
