Data from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor indicate that about 40% of the accidents in the industries involve some type of fall of height, mainly in the sector of the civil construction. However, falling from heights are related to the most diverse types of services, such as works in wells, excavations, services in platforms and scaffolding, assembly and dismantling of structures, services of maintenance in poles, services of storage in shelves, etc.
The theme is so important that in September/2010 a group of Safety Engineers gathered in São Paulo at the 1st International Seminar on Safety at Work at Height decided to send to the Ministry of Labor a request for the creation of a specific legislation for the theme, which was attended in March/2012, with the publication of the Norma Reguladora NR-35. A little earlier, in January 2011, the Ministry of Labor had published the NR-34 bringing the minimum requirements and measures of safety, health and environmental protection to work in the activities of the shipbuilding and repair industry, where there is mention – among others – about Work at Height.
This topic addresses, among other things:
- Legal definition of Working at Heights
- Review of NR-35 on Work at Height
- Lifelines and Fall Arrest Equipment.
- Studies of Accidents caused by fall of heights.
- Special Work Permit for services at height.
