Workplace positioning
Workplace positioning is an expression from the field of occupational health and safety and describes a component of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is intended to keep people safe at their workplace and to protect them against falling or slipping if there is a risk of falling.
Workplace positioning is one of the rope-assisted work processes and can also be used for personal protective equipment against falls ( PPE ).
In Germany, workplace positioning must comply with the trade association rules for safety and health at work (BGR 198: Use of personal protective equipment against falls) and the technical rules for operational safety (TRBS 2121-3: Provision and use of access and positioning procedures with the aid of ropes ) correspond.
technology
When positioning the workplace, which is only used in areas where there is a risk of falling, the user uses equipment that usually belongs to personal protective equipment against falls . These are, for example, holding ropes with rope shorteners, runners in fall arrest systems or special devices for reaching a workplace (e.g. variants of EN 341 devices). Lanyards and connecting elements must be used in such a way that they prevent a fall. In order to ensure the highest possible level of safety, safety against falling must also be used with such work techniques. Systems according to EN 353-1 (fall arrest devices on fixed guides), according to EN 353-2 (fall arresters on flexible guides) or fall protection devices according to EN 360 can be used.
Classification
Another workplace positioning system is the seaman's chair , which can be classified as a pull-up personal access device (PAM). The demarcation of access equipment and positioning systems using PPE is not clear. At the moment (August 2011), efforts are being made at European level to subsume these systems, provided they are carried out using devices according to EN 341, under the Machinery Directive (hand-operated machines that transport people from one level to another). This would then also include the abseiling devices for rope-assisted access techniques , but not positioning systems with restraint systems (tether with rope shortener).
Normative and legal references
- EN 341 descenders
- EN 353-1 Fall arrest devices on fixed guides
- EN 353-2 fall arrest devices on flexible guides
- EN 358 safety belts
- EN 360 fall arrest devices
- EN 361 full body harnesses
- EN 795 lifting points
- EN 813 seat belts
- European machinery directive
- TRBS 2121-3: Danger to people from falls - Provision and use of access and positioning procedures with the aid of ropes
- BGR 198 - Employer's liability insurance association rules : Use of personal protective equipment against falling
- BGR 199 - Employer's liability insurance association rules: Rescuing from heights and depths with personal fall protection equipment
Workplace positioning systems can also be certified according to EN 363.
literature
- Employer's liability insurance association information for safety and health at work: Safety belts and lanyards for safety belts. BGI 870, October 2003. Available online (PDF; 296 kB)
Web links
- 89/686 / EEC Directive of the Council of December 21, 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the member states for personal protective equipment (PDF)
- Council Directive 89/656 / EEC (PDF)of November 30, 1989 on the minimum requirements for safety and health protection for the use of personal protective equipment by workers at work (third individual directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391 / EEC)
- Overview of the individual parts of personal protective equipment against falls
- Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: TRBS 2121 Part 3 "Danger to people from falls - Provision and use of access and positioning procedures with the aid of ropes"
Individual evidence
- ↑ EN 341 is a DIN standard that defines the requirements, test methods, labeling and instructions for use for descenders for use in connection with personal protective equipment against falls.