Wire Rope Handrail Fails and Leads to Worker's Death
On January 11 2019, a worker fell to their death when a wire rope being used as a handrail parted ways when he leaned against it. Initial examination found that the wire rope had corrosion. Worksafe has reported that at this stage, it is unclear if the damage was there prior to the work but the rope was covered with a material that was not transparent.
Worksafe is urging companies to make sure their safety equipment especially handrail systems with the following criteria:
- based on sound risk assessments
- properly designed for risks they are protecting against
- constructed so they can be easily maintained and/or inspected
- regularly inspected and replaced/repaired when needed
SAFE HANDRAIL SYSTEM
NZ scaffolding regulations dictate that edge protection must be provided on all work surfaces. When it comes to safely work on roofs, our edge protection products provide the ultimate safe solution for single story roof edge protection application. Easy Rail is made in New Zealand and is compliant to AS/NZS4994: 2009.
It’s important to seek advice from a professional regarding the expected life of handrails and installation to be inspected to keep everyone on the worksite safe.