Instructions for working at heights
How to work safely when working at heights in university's facilities.
General information on working at heights
These guidelines have been compiled for working in Uniarts Helsinki’s facilities in places where a person can fall and hurt themselves. Other risks in this kind of work include, for example, hitting the ceiling or other upper structures and objects falling down on top of people on the ground from high up. When working at heights, it is important to assess work-related risks and take measures to minimise these risks so that it is possible to prevent accidents at work.
The following persons have contributed to the compiling of these guidelines: Pekka Anttonen, Kati Autere, Olli Karttunen, Samppa Murtomäki, Marko Myöhänen, Jyri Pulkkinen, Anna Rouhu. The guidelines have been discussed by Uniarts Helsinki’s occupational safety committee on 17 April 2023 and by the steering group for safety management on 21 April 2023. The occupational health and safety manager is responsible for updating the guidelines.
There are Government decrees and instructions issued by national authorities concerning working at heights and using aerial work platforms, and a list of these can be found on the bottom of the page. If these instructions conflict with the decrees or the national occupational safety guidelines, priority is given to the decrees and national guidelines over these guidelines. However, to ensure a safer outcome, these guidelines are prioritised when they are stricter than the decrees or the occupational safety guidelines.
Working on maintenance catwalks
Uniarts Helsinki has maintenance catwalks in performance facilities and in the lighting studio in Kookos.
Use of maintenance catwalks
The maintenance catwalks in performance facilities are used for technical work (mounting, adjusting directions, taking down, maintenance etc.) in the context of events. They cannot accommodate performers or audience members.
Use of a helmet
Anyone working on a maintenance catwalk must wear an industrial safety helmet as a head protector. Besides a CE marking, the helmet must also indicate the manufacturer’s name or logo, date of manufacture, standard number as well as model and size.
Anyone working below the catwalk in the stage area must wear a helmet when somebody is working above them in accordance with the following specifications:
- In the Theatre Hall of Kookos: a helmet must be worn everywhere in the space
- In the Lighting Studio of Kookos: a helmet must be worn everywhere in the space
- In the concert halls of the M Building: a helmet must be worn when working on stage
Helmet colours: staff wear black or white helmets, students wear red helmets.
Instructions for using a helmet
Fasten the chin strap, because otherwise you could lose the helmet at an inopportune moment. You must also make sure that the internal cradle is properly adjusted to fit your head. If the internal cradle is too large or too small, ask for another helmet in a different size.
Inspect and maintain the helmet regularly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If the plastic brittles, it can be detected most clearly from the hairline cracks at the base of the brim.
Store helmets indoors for example on a shelf and protect them from sunlight, chemicals, heat, cold and moisture. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to store the helmet. Attach stickers and tapes only if the manufacturer’s instructions allow it, because the plastic blend may react to some adhesives or solvents.
Working on person lifts
Use of personal protective equipment against falls
Some of Uniarts Helsinki’s person lifts require the use of protective equipment against falls, while some do not. When working in the basket of an person lift with a telescopic/articulating mast, the person must always use personal protective equipment against falls. The protective equipment against falls includes a harness that has been attached from the harness attachment point to the anchorage point of the lift with an adjustable lanyard. The lanyard must be adjusted tight. The purpose of the lanyard is to keep the person inside the basket even if the machine falls down and to prevent the person from falling out of the basket.
Person lifts that always require the use of protective equipment against falls
Haulotte Star 10, person lift with an articulating, telescopic mast (in Mylly and the M Building)
Person lifts that require the use of protective equipment against falls only on the basis of work-specific risk assessment
Mylly:
- Genie Runabout GRC-12, person lift with a telescopic mast
Kookos:
- Genie AWP-25S, aerial work platform with a fixed mast
- Genie IWP-25S DC, aerial work platform with a fixed mast
- Rotator JLG 10MSP (“Rotta”), person lift with a telescopic mast
- Rotator JLG Toucan Duo (“Toukka”), person lift with a telescopic mast
- Rotator JLG ES1530L (“Lokki”), scissor lift
M Building:
- Haulotte Compact 10, scissor lift
- Haulotte Quick-up 13, aerial work platform with a fixed mast
- R Building:
- Genie AWP-20S, aerial work platform with a fixed mast
- Haulotte Quick Up 9, person lift with a telescopic mast
N building
- Safelift MoveAround MA50, person lift with a telescopic mast
Use of a helmet
A helmet must be worn at all times when using all person lifts. Anyone working below must also wear a helmet, as do people working on a maintenance catwalk.
Marking exclusion zones
In principle, person lifts are used alone or in facilities where there are only people who are participating in the same work. The area where the person lift is used must be marked with barriers, fences or tapes whenever the work is done in lobbies or other facilities where people who are not participating in the work may move around. The exclusion zone must also always be marked in the Kuva/Tila gallery in Mylly.
When the use of an person lift requires the use of personal protective equipment against falls, another person must always be present in the space (as the so-called slinger/signaller).
General instructions for users of person lifts
It is forbidden to sit or stand on the guardrails of person lifts, and both feet must always stay on the floor of the platform. When working on the lift, users must not reach further than their arm’s length from the lift.
Untrained persons are prevented from using the person lift either by removing the key from the ignition or by activating the emergency stop or by keeping the lift in a locked space.
Introduction to using person lifts
To minimise any risks, the operator of an person lift must have received training in the use of each lift model they use. The model-specific introduction session will cover the following topics:
- manufacturer’s instructions
- person lift related sections of these guidelines
- local instructions (special instructions concerning the facilities of the property in question)
- load limits
- appropriate use of control devices, along with concrete demonstration and practice
- use of protective equipment and how to put it on, if such is required
In principle, the introduction is given within the unit or team where the teaching, research or support service activities require the use of the lift.
Uniarts Helsinki, as the employer with the primary authority at the common workplace, is responsible for making sure that people outside of the university community (visitors, contractors’ employees) know how to use the person lift and for giving the necessary information and instructions for using them with consideration to risk and adverse factors.
The person giving the introduction must have solid knowhow concerning the use of the lift model in question through training by the device’s importer or through the university’s internal training as well as through personal user experience. The supervisor of the instructor will assess whether a certain instructor is qualified to give the introduction. Students cannot give an introduction to the use of person lifts.
The personal qualities of the person lift operator must be taken into consideration if these qualities may affect the person’s ability to use the lift model in question. The worker’s young or old age is an example of a personal quality that must be taken into consideration, as are the worker’s language skills or the individual limitations or needs of a worker who is partially capable of work. (Also confer the section on the Young Workers’ Act)
Authorisation of the use of an person lift
After giving an introduction session to the new user and making sure that they have the required competence, the instructor authorises the new user to operate a certain model of an person lift.
The authorisation is given by filling in and signing an authorisation form. The university’s employees save their approved authorisation forms in the HR portal Mepco, in the personal data section under training and courses. The authorisation is provided as a PDF attachment. When a student is authorised to use an person lift, the approved form is saved in the Peppi system.
Risk of falling objects
When working at heights, the goal must be to reduce the risk of endangering the people who are working or doing something else below the work area. The danger may be an object falling down or even a worker falling on top of someone else.
The following safety precautions must be taken on the ground:
- Make sure that there is nobody in the area who is not authorised to be in the area or who does not need to be in the area. Warn people that there will be work done at heights by putting up a sign on the doors.
- If necessary, seclude the area by marking it. You can find the instructions for doing so on this page under the section Marking exclusion zones.
- Anyone working below must wear a helmet in accordance with the instructions.
When working above other people:
- Make sure that you have good visibility to the area below.
- Make sure that you are able to communicate easily with the people who are below you.
- Empty your pockets or close them so that nothing can fall down.
- Only take the tools that you need to the work site.
- Prevent the falling of tools with tool lanyards and bracelets.
- Equipment should be lifted up by using a pulley.
- Make sure that there are kick boards in use on the maintenance walk or the person lift.
- Use protective equipment against falls, if necessary.
Decrees and national guidelines
Section 28: When work is carried out at height, the work platforms and equipment for lifting persons must be fitted with protection against falls, or safety nets or other protective structures attached to the main structures must be used. If the nature of the work does not allow such equipment or structures to be used, an appropriate harness-type personal protective device with ropes that prevents falls must be used. The ropes must be secured safely.
Section 25: Employees in elevating cars of telescopic cranes or slewing cranes shall use personal protective equipment against falls. The annex states that machinery for lifting persons means any power-driven device which is fixed or mounted on a vehicle or a mobile platform and which is intended for lifting persons to perform work on the work platform of the machinery.
Mobile machinery for lifting persons – Instructions for safe use
Section 1: This Act shall apply to work performed by a person under 18 years of age (young worker) in an employment relationship or public service employment relationship.
The provisions of chapter 3 of this Act shall also be applied to other work performed by a young worker to which the Occupational Safety and Health Act is applied.
Section 9: The employer shall see to it that the work is not hazardous to the physical or mental development of a young worker, and that it does not require more exertion or responsibility than can be considered reasonable with respect to the young worker’s age and strength.
A young worker may only carry out work which does not cause a special accident risk or a health hazard or which is not hazardous to the young worker or others, as referred to in subsection 1. A Government decree may include more detailed provisions on work that is particularly harmful and dangerous to young workers, on the conditions for providing such work in connection with education and otherwise, and on the obligation to notify the occupational safety and health authority and the guardian of the young worker in connection with such work.
Section 10: The employer shall ensure that a young worker who does not have the necessary skill or experience for a job is given training and guidance for the purpose, together with such personal instruction as is necessary in view of the working conditions, the worker’s age and other factors, so that the worker is not a danger to oneself or other persons.