1.5 Working at Height

Question 1

Under the Work at Height Regulations, duty holders (employers, the self-employed, and any person that
controls the work of others e.g. facilities managers or building owners who may contract
others to work at height) must ensure:

Answer 1

planning and organisation of work

competence of workers

risks assessed

fragile surface risks controlled

equipment inspected and maintained

Question 2

Duty holders must also adhere to the following hierarchy for managing and selecting
equipment for work at height:

Answer 2

 avoid work at height where possible;
 use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls (where working at height
cannot be avoided); and
 use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of
a fall should one occur (where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated).

Question 3

Give an example of a collective fall arrest system

Answer 3

Nets

Air bags

Question 4

Give an example of a collective fall prevention system

Answer 4

Barriers
Guard rails
MEWPs

Question 5

Give an example of a personal fall prevention system

Answer 5

Work restraint

Question 6

Give an example of a personal fall arrest system

Answer 6

Ropes
Lanyards
Inertia reels

Question 7

How high should the top rail be on a guard rail system?

Answer 7

At least 950mm

Question 8

What is the maximum allowable gap between rails on a guard rail system?

Answer 8

470mm

Question 9

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Vertical (upright) tube

Name the component.

Answer 9

Standard

Question 10

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold. Name the component.

Horizontal tube - in the direction of the larger dimension of the working scaffold.

Name the component.

Answer 10

Ledger

Question 11

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Horizontal tube - in the direction of the smaller dimensions of the
working scaffold

Name the component.

Answer 11

Transom

Question 12

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Diagonal tube parallel to the façade of the building

Name the component.

Answer 12

Façade
(Face)
bracing

Question 13

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Diagonal tube perpendicular to the face of the building

Name the component.

Answer 13

Ledger

bracing

Question 14

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Metal plate used to spread the load from a standard (Base plates
with vertical adjustment are called base jacks)

Name the component.

Answer 14

Base plate

Question 15

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Means of securing the scaffold to the building

Name the component.

Answer 15

Tie

Question 16

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Timber plank positioned beneath two or more base plates to evenly
distribute the scaffold load over the ground

Name the component.

Answer 16

Sole board

Question 17

The following is a description of a component of an independent tied scaffold.

Distance between pairs of standards (parallel to face of building)

Name the component.

Answer 17

Bay