You don’t need to fall from very high to be badly injured. Working at heights courses have been developed to reduce the number of accidents that occur to workers, and if you work at heights, you should know more about these.

Working at heights courses are important ! It’s estimated that about 1260 workers get injuries annually due to falling from heights, and the heights are usually only about five meters above the ground. So to avoid this, courses have been developed to minimise the risk.

There are certain aspects of working at heights that you need to get abreast with if you want to avoid falling accidents. This particularly applies to those working on mining and construction sites. Courses train-in skills that can be used to make sure that workers are safe each time they engage in hazardous jobs.

Working at heights entails many kinds of equipments and hazards that need to be addressed, and the courses offer information on hazard management and identification. Some of the important things you need to know about when working high above the ground are fall-arrest equipment and how to apply emergency tactics. Some of the topics covered in these courses are workplace health and safety, safety harness, anchor points and systems and restraint methods. There are two kinds of access equipment that are used on site, which are the powered access equipment and the manual towers.

Here are 2 good reasons for attending involved in working at heights courses.

1. Compliance with the working at heights laws. In Australia, these were passed in 2005 and require that all the workers be competent and have knowledge and skills regarding preventive measures. Employers using people who have not taken recognised courses can be charged with breaking the law. Trained employees also give assurance of quality work and improved productivity

2. Staying abreast of the new laws on working at heights. For instance, you might have the assumption that working at heights means working from a place above two meters ( which is six 1/2 feet ) but the current developments state that it’s from any upraised place that can cause injury if a person fell. It might be on a low ladder or from furniture like tables that people were standing on to paint walls or ceilings. In the courses, you receive training on the important skills you need to be 100% safe when working on heights.

There are two kinds of access equipment used on site - powered access equipment and manual towers. If you plan on getting trained then you need to look for a training institution whose certificate is recognized.

There are international courses that issue a certificate for working at heights, which is recognised by Occupational Health Services in Australia ( OHSA ). And there are a number of Australian recognised training organisations that provide courses and who’s training will allow you to be issued with the Work Safely at Height achievement certificate - Statement of Attainment for RIIOHS204A Work Safely at Heights - which is certified by Occupational Health Services in Australia.