Working at Heights Training School

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Training Modules — What You Master in 1 Week

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Day 1 Programme

• OHS Act & Construction Regulations: Overview of occupational health and safety legislation applicable to working at height — employer duties, employee duties, risk assessment requirements and the legal definition of working at height (3m+)
• Why heights are dangerous: Statistics on falls from height in South Africa — ladders, scaffolding, rooftops, platforms and elevated structures. Understanding the leading causes of fall fatalities and how fall arrest systems prevent them
• Fall arrest vs work positioning: Distinguishing between fall restraint systems (preventing a fall from occurring) and fall arrest systems (stopping a fall in progress) — when each applies and how they are combined in practice
• Fall physics and energy absorption: Understanding fall factors, freefall distance, tended distance (2m maximum for energy-absorbing lanyards), and how energy absorbers dissipate impact force on the body during arrest
• Introduction to fall arrest equipment: Overview of all components in a fall arrest system — full body harness, energy-absorbing lanyard, connectors, anchor, and lifeline. How each component functions and the consequences of incorrect use or equipment failure
• Medical fitness requirements: Understanding the medical certificate of fitness requirement for height work — conditions that disqualify a worker from working at height including heart disease, epilepsy, balance disorders, fear of heights and diabetes

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Day 2 Programme

• Full body harness types: Overview of harness types — work positioning harnesses, fall arrest harnesses, combination harnesses — identifying attachment points for fall arrest D-rings (dorsal and sternal), work positioning rings and rescue loops
• Harness inspection — pre-use: Systematic pre-use inspection of a full body harness — checking webbing for cuts, abrasion, chemical damage and UV degradation; inspecting stitching, buckles, D-rings, and labels; retiring condemned harnesses
• Donning a full body harness correctly: Practical exercise — each student dons a full body harness, adjusts all leg loops, shoulder straps and chest strap to correct fit, and confirms dorsal D-ring position and webbing orientation
• PPE for work at height: Selection and inspection of helmets (chinstrap mandatory at height), gloves, safety glasses/goggles, safety footwear and close-fitting overalls — PPE specific to the height work task
• Lanyard types and inspection: Single-legged lanyards, V-type double lanyards, double-legged lanyards, work positioning lanyards — inspection criteria for webbing, stitching and hardware; identifying lanyards that must be retired
• Energy absorber inspection: Identifying intact vs deployed energy absorbers — understanding that a deployed shock pack must be replaced before reuse. Webbing pack inspection, tear-away stitching condition and housing integrity
• Storing and maintaining fall arrest equipment: Correct storage away from chemicals, UV exposure, sharp edges and moisture. Equipment register requirements and tagging of equipment that has arrested a fall

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Day 3 Programme

• Anchor point requirements: What makes a suitable anchor point — minimum load capacity, structural integrity assessment, material compatibility, position relative to the work area and consequences of incorrect anchor selection
• Connector types and inspection: Locking karabiners, maillons, double-action snap hooks, pylon hooks and scaffold hooks — identifying each type, gate locking mechanisms, inspection for damage and deformation, and compatibility rules
• Point loading and connector compatibility: Understanding why connectors must not be loaded over a sharp edge, why mixing incompatible hardware creates failure risk, and the importance of checking hook-to-anchor size compatibility
• Double lanyard technique — 100% tie-off: Practical exercise — students practice continuous connection while moving across a simulated elevated structure using a double-legged lanyard, attaching to the next anchor point before releasing the first
• Positioning the anchor point overhead: Understanding how anchor position above the worker reduces fall distance — the consequences of sub-optimal anchor positioning and how to calculate fall clearance in confined or low structures
• Connecting to structure anchor points: Correctly connecting to scaffold tubes, structural beams, eyebolts and dedicated anchor devices — wrapping technique for scaffold connections, angle and gate loading avoidance
• Rescue plan awareness: Understanding that a fall arrest rescue plan must be in place before work commences — what information a rescue plan must contain and how a worker communicates their situation while suspended

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Day 4 Programme

• Vertical lifeline systems: Setup and use of pre-installed vertical lifelines with rope grabs — correct direction of travel, loading the rope grab, inspection before use and the consequences of incorrect attachment during a fall
• Horizontal lifeline systems: Use of pre-installed horizontal lifelines with traveller trolleys — moving along a horizontal lifeline, understanding end-anchor loads, sag considerations and the increased fall distance in mid-span positions
• Retractable lifelines: Inspection and use of retractable fall arresters — differentiating between standard retractables and those with integral energy absorbers, load ratings and the correct attachment height for retractable use
• Practical lifeline exercise: Each student uses a vertical lifeline, a horizontal lifeline traveller, and a retractable fall arrester in a supervised practical exercise — demonstrating correct connection, movement and disconnection technique
• Suspension trauma: Understanding orthostatic intolerance during suspension — why hanging in a harness can lead to unconsciousness, the importance of keeping feet moving (pumping legs), and the maximum time before rescue must be completed
• Rescue awareness while awaiting rescue: Physical risks during suspension including hot surfaces, electricity and fumes. Communication protocols after a fall arrest, self-rescue options if available, and preparing for rescuer-assisted rescue from a suspended position
• Integrated fall protection plan: Overview of the fall protection plan required under Construction Regulations — what it must contain, who is responsible for developing it, and how each worker's training and equipment ties into the plan

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Day 5 — Assessment Programme

• Knowledge assessment: Written or verbal knowledge assessment covering OHS Act requirements, fall arrest principles, equipment identification, inspection criteria, anchor point selection, double lanyard technique and suspension trauma awareness
• Practical competency assessment: Each candidate independently demonstrates: harness inspection and correct donning; selection and inspection of lanyards and connectors; selection of a suitable anchor point; correct use of double lanyard technique; use of a vertical lifeline and rope grab; and pre-use inspection of a retractable lifeline
• Equipment inspection assessment: Candidates inspect a set of fall arrest equipment (including deliberately defective items) and correctly identify items that are serviceable vs items that must be withdrawn from service — with justification
• Competent or Not Yet Competent: The formal assessment is conducted against the specific outcomes of SAQA US 229998 — candidates are assessed as Competent or Not Yet Competent. Not Yet Competent candidates receive targeted remedial practice and reassessment
• Certificate of Competence issued: Successful candidates receive their Certificate of Competence aligned to SAQA US 229998, confirming competency in fall arrest techniques for work at height
• IWH Licence issued: Competent candidates are registered and receive their IWH (Institute for Working at Heights) Licence valid for 3 years — the industry-recognised working at heights licence required by contractors, mines and construction companies across South Africa