Developing and Maintaining Policing at Height Capabilities

1. Developing and Maintaining Policing at Height Capabilities Jez Hunter MIOSH

2. Police Officers at Height • Searching • Crime scene investigation • Protestor removal • Dynamic Intervention / Entry • Deployment of Armed Firearms Officers • Suicide Intervention

3. Sources of Training Best Practice • Industry best practice • IRATA • PASMA • Aboriculture Association • British Standards • BS7985:2002 – Code of practice for the use of rope access methods for industrial purposes • BS 8437:2005 Code of practice for selection, use and maintenance of personal fall protection systems and equipment for use in the workplace • None encompass the demands of policing at height

4. Reg 6 – Hierarchy of Controls • Avoid • Remote searching • Reducing access to protestors, jumpers • Using other access points for DE • Prevent using suitable and sufficient measures • Use an existing place – difficult when responding to spontaneous events • Use an existing means of access • Select collective prevention measures over personal measures • Minimise • Minimise distance and consequences - Nets / Fall arrest with anchor point high • Minimise consequence - Soft Landing Systems / Fall Arrest with anchor point low / ALJs • Provide information, training or other measures to minimise effects of a fall

5. Competence • Combination of practical and theoretical knowledge, experience, skill and judgement • Test of competence… • Able to assess the risks effectively • Able to devise and implement a safe system of work • Able to identify and stop dangerous situations

6. Definitions

7. Work Restraint “A specific form of personal fall prevention system by which a person is prevented from reaching zones where a risk of a fall exists“ • Useful system for deployment of static AFOs

8. Limitations of Restraint

9. Work positioning “A personal fall protection system that enables a user to work while supported in tension or suspension in such a way that a fall is prevented or restricted" • Protestor removal Max fall less than 0.5m

10. Roped Access • A personal fall protection system that specifically uses two “static” separately secured sub-systems – one as a means of support and the other as a safety back up. This is used to get to and from the place of work and to undertake work positioning • Dynamic Entry • Search

11. Fall Arrest “A personal fall protection system by which a fall is arrested to prevent the collision of the user with the ground or structure" • More flexible than work restraint, however must be able to rescue Max fall less than 4m and 6kN

13. Rescue System (Reg 4(2)) • Personal Fall Protection System by which a person can carry out a rescue, rescue themselves, or be rescued from a height / depth by pulling, lifting or lowering • Releasable systems

14. Structuring Training • Supervising working at height • Basic Hazard Awareness – those officers who may occasionally work at height, for short periods and undertaking simple tasks • Rooftop Safety – those officers requiring more complex access techniques who may don personal fall prevention PPE • Specialist rope access using PPE in suspension • Equipment inspection and management

15. 1. Supervising Working at Height • Health and Safety Officers / Risk Managers / Team Commanders • Should understand the following: • Employer and employee duties • Hazard awareness and risk assessment • Strategies to avoid working at height • Different collective and personal fall prevention / protection systems

16. 2. Height Hazard Awareness • All police officers • Should understand the following: • Employer and employee duties • Specific hazard awareness – fragile roofs, effect of weather, falling objects • Application of a dynamic risk assessment • Options to avoid working at height • Simple control measures to work safely

17. 3. Rooftop Safety • Suitable for AFOs, Negotiators etc • Should be competent in the following: • Pre-use inspection, use, care and maintenance of equipment • Anchor selection, rigging anchor systems and knots • Establishment of work restraint and fall arrest system • Operating on or near fragile surfaces • Operational procedures – re-positioning, use of firearms • Emergency drills including Suspension Trauma & rescue • Safe use of access systems eg. ladders

18. 4. Specialist Rope Access and Work Positioning • Task specific training that requires blending mechanical ascent / descent techniques with top down rescues • Consider: • The access is only the start • Supervisors require additional risk control, rigging and rescue trg • Weather and fragile roof exemptions – do these apply to trg? • An industrial type rescue may not be appropriate • Single vrs twin rope • Realistic training is critical

19. PPE and Lifting Equipment Competent Persons • PPE custodians must be competent to thoroughly examine equipment according to an inspection schedule. • They should be aware of: • Legislative requirements • How and why equipment fails • How to systematically examine equipment • How to quarantine, maintain, repair and dispose • How to record findings (Schedule 7 WAHR and Reg 10 LOLER)

20. System Failure

21. Maintaining Capability • The more complex the system of work the shorter the half life of knowledge retention • IRATA advise refresher training if inactive for over six months • Training should be progressive, challenging and realistic • Personal log books are useful to monitor currency

22. Maintaining Capability • Annual Specialist Training Exercises • External audits • Symposiums

23. Summary • WAHR is not new, we just need to carry on applying best practice • An organisation-wide solution is the most effective in order to standardise technology, methodology and competencies • Techniques are constantly evolving – networks are increasingly valuable

24. www.rigsystems.co.uk