35.1 Objective
35.1.1 This Standard stipulates requirements and preventive measures for working at height, covering planning, organization and implementation, so as to ensure the safety and health of personnel directly or indirectly engaged in such work.
35.2 Scope of Application
35.2.1 This Standard applies to all operations carried out at a height difference of more than 2.0 meters from the lower ground level with fall risks.
35.3 Responsibilities
35.3.1 The employer shall:
a) Ensure the implementation of preventive measures specified in this standard;
b) Carry out risk analysis and issue work permits where necessary;
c) Formulate operational procedures for routine working-at-height activities;
d) Make safety guidelines from risk analysis, work permits and operational procedures easily accessible to all staff via internal communication channels;
e) Conduct pre-site condition assessment for height work, and formulate and implement relevant safety measures;
f) Supervise service contractors to comply with the preventive requirements of this standard;
g) Ensure height work starts only after all stipulated preventive measures are in place;
h) Suspend height work immediately if unexpected hazardous situations occur that cannot be eliminated promptly;
i) Establish a formal approval system for personnel engaged in working at height;
j) Ensure all documents required by this standard are properly sorted and filed for no less than five years, unless otherwise stipulated in other regulatory standards.
35.3.2 Workers shall abide by provisions of this standard, Clause 1.4.2 of NR-01 General Provisions and Occupational Risk Management, as well as operational procedures issued by employers.
35.4 Authorization, Training and Physical Fitness
35.4.1 All working at height shall be performed by personnel formally authorized by the employer.
35.4.1.1 Authorized height work personnel refer to trained employees who have passed health assessment and are confirmed fit for relevant operations.
35.4.1.2 Height work authorization shall take the following into account:
a) Specific work contents to be undertaken;
b) Training records completed by the worker;
c) Clinical physical fitness for assigned work.
35.4.1.3 The authorization shall be recorded in the employee's official personnel documents.
35.4.1.3.1 The employer shall set up an identification system to check the scope of each worker's work authorization at any time.
35.4.2 A trained height work worker is one who has passed all required theoretical and practical training including initial, periodic and ad-hoc training in accordance with NR-01.
35.4.2.1 Initial training shall last no less than 8 hours and be completed prior to taking post, covering:
a) Applicable codes and regulations for working at height;
b) Risk analysis and work prohibition conditions;
c) Potential height work risks as well as prevention and control measures;
d) Collective protection systems, equipment and operating rules;
e) Selection, inspection, maintenance and service limits of height work personal protective equipment;
f) Common accidents occurring in height operations;
g) Emergency response measures including basic rescue skills and first aid knowledge.
35.4.2.2 Periodic retraining shall be conducted every two years with a minimum duration of eight hours, following the syllabus formulated by the employer.
35.4.3 Trainings shall be delivered by competent instructors, under the supervision of qualified or legally licensed occupational safety professionals.
35.4.4 Employers shall conduct health assessments for height work practitioners in accordance with NR-07 Occupational Health Medical Control Program, especially Clause 7.5.3. Assessments shall cover diseases that may cause sudden discomfort and falls, as well as psychosocial factors.
35.4.4.1 Fitness qualification for working at height shall be stated clearly in the employee's occupational health certificate.
35.5 Planning and Organization
35.5.1 All working at height activities shall be fully planned and organized.
35.5.2 Work planning shall follow this priority order:
a) Adopt alternatives to avoid height work whenever feasible;
b) Eliminate fall hazards if alternative ways are unavailable;
c) Minimize fall consequences when fall risks cannot be eliminated.
35.5.3 All height work shall be carried out under supervision. Supervision modes shall be determined by risk analysis according to actual operation features.
35.5.4 During operation, take external influencing factors into account which may change the on-site conditions confirmed in risk analysis.
35.5.5 Risk analysis must be completed prior to all height work.
35.5.5.1 Apart from inherent height work hazards, risk analysis shall also cover:
a) Operation site and surrounding environment;
b) Site isolation and warning sign arrangement;
c) Confirmation of protection systems and anchor points;
d) Adverse weather conditions;
e) Selection, inspection, usage methods and service limits of collective and personal protective systems, complying with current technical standards, manufacturer instructions and principles of impact reduction and fall factor control;
f) Falling risks of materials and tools;
g) Specific hazards brought by simultaneous cross operations;
h) Compliance with safety and health requirements stipulated in other relevant regulatory standards;
i) Additional potential risks;
j) Conditions prohibiting work commencement;
k) Emergency scenarios, rescue plans and first-aid arrangements to shorten static suspension time of workers;
l) Demand for communication equipment;
m) Specific supervision mode.
35.5.6 For routine height work, risk analysis may be integrated into corresponding operating procedures.
35.5.6.1 Operating procedures for routine height work shall include:
a) Detailed task breakdown;
b) Exclusive preventive measures for regular operations;
c) Work-forbidden conditions;
d) Required collective and personal protection facilities;
e) Personnel competence and respective responsibilities.
35.5.7 Non-routine height work must be approved via work permit in advance.
35.5.7.1 Preventive measures for non-routine work shall be clearly stated in risk analysis documents and work permits.
35.5.8 Work permits can be issued in paper or electronic form, approved by designated authorized personnel, kept accessible at the worksite, and closed and filed after completion for traceability management.
35.5.8.1 Work permits shall specify:
a) Basic execution requirements;
b) Rules and measures confirmed in risk analysis;
c) List of all relevant personnel.
35.5.8.2 The work permit is valid only within the working shift or working hours of the ongoing task. It can be re-approved by the authorized person if on-site conditions and operating staff remain unchanged.
