Time Consultancy - Leading Access and Safety Consultancy - Working at Height

The BSI has issued a draft code of practice BS 8454 for delivery of training and education for work at height and rescue to allow comments from interested parties; all comments will be given consideration prior to publication. The guidance is intended to ensure that all comments receive efficient and appropriate attention by the responsible BSI committee.

This British Standard has been prepared by Technical Committee PH/5.

Falls from a height are one of the largest causes of death and injury in the workplace. There is therefore an increasing demand for people to receive training for work at height. This demand is driven partly by legislation, as the Work at Height Regulations 2005, Regulation 5, explicitly requires anyone working at height to be competent, and partly by an increasing trend within industry for a professional approach to be taken to work activities, which are potentially dangerous.

There are many national, European and international standards which specify systems and equipment for work at height, and codes of practice for the use of such systems and equipment in the workplace. The present standard gives recommendations and guidance on how training and education should be delivered for the people who use such systems and equipment for work at height.

This British Standard gives recommendations and guidance for training providers to enable them to ensure that training for work at height is delivered to a high standard, in a safe, controlled environment by competent and experienced staff. It also gives guidance on the information to be given to clients to enable them to select a course that is suitable for their needs.

The standard covers all types of training for work at height, whether delivered by an employer to their own staff or by an external provider to independent clients.

The standard does not give recommendations on course content. A document setting out the knowledge required by all persons who work at height is being prepared by the Advisory Committee on Work at Height Training (ACWAHT).

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commends the use of this British Standard to those who have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The standard has been drawn up with the participation of HSE representatives and it will be referred to in the relevant HSE publications.

All comments to the BSI need to be submitted by 31 March 2006

If you would like a copy of the draft please contact: Andrew Willis at Time Consultancy Tel 0870 321 1555 e-mail andrew.willis@timeconsultancy.com Mobile 07749 704671

Information on the co-operating organizations represented on the committees may be obtained from the responsible committee secretary Tel: 01344 404409 or email bsonline@techindex.co.uk Direct tel: 020 8996 7164 Responsible Committee Secretary: Mr John Fisher (BSI) E-mail: john.fisher@bsi-global.com

The British Standards which implement International or European publications referred to in this draft may be found via the British Standards Online Service on the BSI web site http://www.bsi-global.com.