Fall Protection Training - Planning, Safe Work and Rescue - 2 Days

Description

This two-day training course provides participants with the knowledge, risk awareness and practical skills required to plan, supervise or carry out work and rescue operations using personal fall protection systems, depending on their role.

The course covers the entire work process – from defining the task and carrying out a risk assessment to selecting suitable control measures and personal fall protection systems, inspecting and using the equipment, and planning for rescue.

Participants gain an understanding of how the work task, risks, control measures, personal fall protection systems and rescue preparedness are connected, and practise applying this knowledge in practical decision-making.

Target group

The course is intended for people who, as part of their role, are responsible for, supervise, plan or carry out work where there is a risk of falling and where personal fall protection systems may be required. It is also intended for people who need to plan or take part in rescue and evacuation using personal fall protection systems.

Examples include:

• supervisors and people with responsibility for work environment or work planning,
• installers and service technicians,
• operations and maintenance personnel,
• users of personal fall protection systems,
• personnel who need to plan or participate in rescue operations.

Participants may have different roles and responsibilities, but all need to understand how planning, work and rescue are connected.

Course objectives

After successfully completing the course, participants shall, within the scope of the training, be able to:

• explain the basic rules, responsibilities and risks associated with work where there is a risk of falling,
• describe the work task, identify hazards, assess risks and select appropriate control measures,
• select a suitable personal fall protection system based on the risk assessment,
• inspect, fit, assemble and use the systems included in the training,
• assess rescue preparedness and carry out the rescue procedures included in the training,
• determine when work must not be started or must be stopped,
• reassess the risk assessment when conditions change.

Purpose

The purpose of the course is to provide participants with the knowledge, risk awareness and practical skills required, within the scope of the training and according to their role, to plan, supervise or carry out work and rescue operations using personal fall protection systems safely.

The course is designed to create an understanding of how the work task, risk assessment, selection of control measures, personal fall protection systems and rescue preparedness are connected, while giving participants the opportunity to practise and demonstrate the practical skills required for safe use.

Participants shall understand these connections and be able to apply them in practical decision-making.

Quality assurance

The training concept has been developed by Hewall Safety since 2008 and is quality-assured within Hewall Safety's management system, in line with the principles of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. It is based on defined learning objectives, controlled training materials, and theoretical and practical assessment against established criteria.

The course content is based on applicable occupational health and safety legislation, relevant regulations, standards and current manufacturers' instructions.

Requirements for successful completion

To successfully complete the course, participants must:

• attend all theoretical and practical elements,
• achieve a passing result on the course theory examination,
• achieve a passing result in the practical elements in accordance with established assessment criteria.

All mandatory assessment criteria must be fulfilled for a passing result.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites for the course.

The course is comprehensive and includes both theoretical and practical elements as well as assessment. 

Block 1 – Theory – Planning and risk assessment

• occupational health and safety legislation, roles and responsibilities,
• systematic work environment management,
• defining the work task and identifying hazards,
• assessment of fall risks and other relevant risks,
• selection and prioritisation of control measures,
• when personal fall protection may or must be used,
• specific requirements for construction and civil engineering work,
• medical requirements and fitness-for-work certificates for climbing involving significant height differences,
• verification of competence and other prerequisites before work begins,
• decisions on whether work may start, must be stopped or needs to be reassessed,
• scenario-based application.

The course covers applicable parts of the Swedish Work Environment Act, the Work Environment Ordinance and relevant Swedish Work Environment Authority regulations.

Block 2 – Theory – Personal fall protection equipment and personal fall protection systems

• personal protective equipment and applicable product requirements,
• CE marking, EN standards and their significance,
• selection, fitting and compatibility,
• the importance of manufacturers’ instructions, intended use and limitations,
• inspection before and after use,
• the difference between user checks and periodic inspection,
• care, cleaning, storage, service life and retirement criteria,
• personal fall protection system
• restraint systems,
• work positioning systems,
• fall arrest systems,
• rescue systems,
• rope access systems – overview only,
• fall factor, required clearance, swing falls, horizontal use and falls over an edge,
• rescue preparedness and orthostatic effects during suspension.

The course also covers applicable parts of Regulation (EU) 2016/425, relevant EN standards and current manufacturers’ instructions.

Block 3 – Practical training – Personal fall protection systems

• pre-use inspection of personal fall protection equipment,
• donning and fitting a harness,
• selecting and checking anchorage,
• selecting suitable and compatible components,
• assembling and checking personal fall protection systems,
• restraint systems,
• work positioning systems,
• fall arrest systems,
• checking connectors, locking mechanisms and attachment points,
• assessing system function, capabilities and limitations,
• deciding when a task must be stopped or reassessed.

Block 4 – Practical training – Rescue and self-evacuation

• planning and setting up rescue systems,
• securing the rescuer and casualty,
• selecting and checking anchorage,
• controlled transfer of load,
• rescue to a lower level,
• rescue following a fall over an edge,
• rescue to a higher level,
• lifting and lowering,
• self-evacuation,
• moving the casualty to a place of safety,
• use of rescue equipment in accordance with the current manufacturer’s instructions.

Scope and limitations

The course verifies competence within the systems and procedures included in the training. It does not provide general authorisation for all types of work at height or for all types of fall protection equipment.

The course does not include:

• periodic inspection as a competent person,
• design or installation of permanent lifeline systems or other permanent anchorage systems,
• practical rope access work,
• advanced technical rescue outside the methods and scenarios included in the course.

Product-specific requirements must always be verified against current markings, manufacturers’ instructions and documentation.