Fall-arrest training can play an important role in improving the day-to-day safety of mineworkers in Africa, says height safety consulting and training provider Height Wise Training Academy.

Height Wise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skyriders, a pro- vider of rope-access-aided inspection, nondestructive testing and high-elevation safety solutions, which also boasts a zero-fatality record throughout its 22-year history.

Height Wise director Penny Fabricius tells Mining Weekly that the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 states that anybody working more than 3 m above the ground is required by law to be trained in how to work safely at height.

A large number of miners working in both openpit and underground applications are regularly placed in situations, where they are required to carry out some degree of work at height. It is essential that they acquire the basic skills and knowledge to ensure their safety.

“Training is an important aspect of mining safety and Height Wise, together with Skyriders, is able to customise unique training courses to suit individual business needs, before fully installing the fall-arrest system on site. A number of mining operations are required by law not only to train their staff but also to meet internal compliance procedures,” she says.

Using an openpit mining application as an example, Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn notes all dragline operators require fall-arrest systems to ensure that falls are avoided. “Owing to the fact that drag- line operators work high above ground, it is important they are attached to fall-arrest systems to ensure that any slip of the foot does not result in a serious fall.”

Fabricius says it is not enough to merely install the fall-arrest system, as all employees exposed to heights must obtain a basic qualification before they access the system, which could be potentially dangerous without proper training.

Height Wise provides training and assessment that is compliant with the National Qualifications Framework and is South African Qualifications Authority-accred- ited. The academy offers two fall- arrest training courses, namely, Level 1, a basic one-day course, which ensures legal compliance at height and provides learners with a general fall-arrest princi- ples and practices, and the advanced two-day course, Level 2, which enables the trainee to conduct rescues at height. It is recommended for supervisors in charge of technicians working at height.

“Height Wise is able to design tailor-made fall-arrest systems for specific applications before working with Skyriders to install the system, thereby providing an all-in-one safety solutions package for any appli- cation,” Fabricius continues.

Zinn says Skyriders’ team of rope access technicians is currently contracted to provide equipment, training, inspections and the installation of fall-arrest systems to various mines and collieries across the continent.

For advanced at-height appli- cations, Fabricius says rope access is a more suitable means of safety. “Rope access is more specialised than fall arrest, and all Skyriders technicians are trained in this field. A rope access technician always has at least two attachments, each with an independent anchorage point, while all secondary tools and equipment are attached by lanyards to the worker’s harness to avoid danger to people below. Rope access training enables the technician to carry out more-skilled and demanding tasks, such as inspections, nondestructive testing and rescues.”

Height Wise offers three rope access training courses. Level 1 enables the trainee to perform a limited range of rope access tasks and rescues and Level 2 provides successful trainees with a Height Wise certificate, which qualifies them to manage the safety of personnel working at height. All supervisors are required to have Level 3 certification; hence, the Level 3 course enables them to supervise rope access teams and perform advanced manoeuvres and rescues.

Fabricius says all training in rope access and fall-arrest systems can be carried out at the Height Wise Training Academy, in Midrand; however, she believes that on-site training is more practical. “Training staff in their working environment is more effective, as they are trained on the actual structures that they work on, as opposed to a prop. This real-life training offers a more hands-on understanding of how the newly acquired skills can be executed in the workplace.”

In future, Fabricius says, demand for fall-arrest installations and training will steadily increase as Africa becomes increasingly safety conscious, and as more investment continues to pour into more mining projects across the continent.