Does performing measurement tasks on the top of an oil tank count as working at height?

Work at heights should be considered any work at a height of 2 meters or more; it seems the person asking wants to know whether helmets and safety belts are necessary. The guardrails on the operating platform also serve as a form of protection. According to AQ3025-2008, the Safety Regulations for Work at Heights in Chemical Production Units: http://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-404570-1-1.html, section 3.1 defines work at heights as any work carried out at a height of 2 meters or more above the reference level from which a fall could occur. Last edited by eleg on 2009-3-20 11:57]

It was precisely this idea that led to long discussions with an experienced master, without any conclusion being reached. The experienced worker said no; he gave the example of balconies in high-rise buildings, where the guardrails are over 1 meter tall, but that certainly can’t be considered climbing, otherwise people would need to wear safety belts at home as well. But I think it should be counted; for the definition of working at height, both height and the risk of falling are met. Even when using a ladder truck with guardrails for street light maintenance, it is considered aerial work and a safety belt is required. Looking forward to more expert advice

The experienced worker gave a good example, but there’s one point where he confused the concepts... Simply put, on the balconies of high-rise buildings, it is indeed necessary to wear a safety belt when working on the balcony railing – for example, workers installing air conditioners on balconies need to wear safety belts. But when standing on the balcony itself, there is no risk of falling... Another example: if a factory floor is 5 meters high, you don’t need to wear a safety belt just by standing next to the railing, but you do need to wear one when working on the railing or outside of it... The standards specify that there must be a possibility of falling... Height is just one of the conditions for working at heights. The above are my personal opinions; please point out any errors if there are any!

That makes sense too. So can it be understood this way now: actually, even on the top of the tank, as long as work is done within the guardrails, it is not considered working at height, because there is no risk of falling within that area. However, working at or even outside the guardrail counts as working at height. I’m not sure if I understand correctly

Floor 3 mentions the relevant standards for defining work at height. My understanding of this definition is that for something to be considered work at height, two conditions must be met: first, the working height is 2 meters or more above the surface on which a person could fall; second, there is a risk of people falling. Therefore, work carried out within the guardrail on the top of this tank should not be considered high-altitude work. However, it should be noted that if work is done near the edge of the guardrail and there is a risk of people falling over the guardrail, then it does constitute high-altitude work.

It’s not considered work at height; in my opinion, as long as there are protective measures such as guardrails, it’s not regarded as a hazardous situation, with no risk of falling.

In fact, even on the top of the tank, as long as work is carried out within the guardrails, it is not considered working at height, because there is no risk of falling within that area. However, working at or even outside the guardrail counts as working at height.

I think by definition, it counts. Why install guardrails? It’s because there is a risk of falling. But does installing guardrails eliminate the possibility of falling? By no means!

It’s hard to say on this matter; I’m hoping experts can provide the authoritative relevant regulations

It is not considered working at height; working at height refers to tasks carried out at a height of 2 meters or more above the reference surface for falling. Now the abhisheka area is equipped with protective railings, eliminating the risk of falling; it can be treated as normal daily operation. If it’s work at height, one needs to wear a safety belt – is that necessary? If you don’t wear a seat belt, that’s considered illegal behavior, right?

I agree with the idea of going upstairs. The original poster mentioned the reference level – the operating platform – as well as the protective measures – guardrails that are one meter high. Does that count or not?

Work at height: Any work carried out at a height of 2 meters or more above the reference level for falling, where there is a risk of falling. When climbing up to the top of the oil tank (from 5 meters to 20 meters), if it is a sloping ladder with guardrails (assumed to be 1 meter high), there is a risk of falling to the ground (more than 2 meters below the ground level). This process constitutes working at height, but it is generally safe while moving upward; no safety belt is required. If a safety belt is worn, it becomes impossible to work (i.e., to climb the ladder). Upon reaching the top surface of the tank, as long as one does not stay near the edge, there is no risk of falling to that reference surface or the ground, and it is therefore not considered working at height. But when working outside the guardrail, there is a risk of falling to the ground; it is high-altitude work, so a safety belt is required.

What a coincidence; I was just about to post about this when I came across this post. Let me also share my understanding: I agree with the view from floor 8. At present, there is only one horizontal bar in the middle of the guardrail of the oil tank, which can only prevent the operator from falling; however, if someone falls or rolls onto the platform or the top of the tank and reaches the guardrail, this barrier will not be able to provide any protection. In addition, operators need to regularly check the foam generator, which is located even further away at the edge. Therefore, we also intend to establish rules that make it mandatory to wear safety belts when working on the tank. Additionally, let’s also discuss whether the loading and unloading operations of tank trucks and railway tank cars constitute work at height. No incidents of tank containers falling have occurred, but we have heard of some near-misses involving the collapse of trucks and tank cars. So let’s all discuss this together and share our opinions.

According to the definition of work at height: any work carried out on a high platform or workbench at a height of 2 meters or more above the reference level for potential falls (including 2 meters) is considered work at height, whether it’s on the top of a tank or anywhere else. Therefore, it is necessary to wear a safety belt; yet many people choose to cut corners, thinking the task will be completed quickly, only to face accidents – and they will still be held responsible!

It shouldn’t be considered high-altitude work, as high-altitude work refers to situations where the falling height from the reference level is 2 meters or more. When climbing up the ladder to the top of the tank, there are guardrails for protection, and the reference level is always at your feet.

Well, any work at a height of two meters or more is considered working at height

Here are some personal opinions: 1. Work on the top of storage tanks should not be considered high-altitude work. The reason is that the areas on the top of storage tanks where operations need to be carried out are equipped with work platforms and corresponding steps. Moreover, the components that require maintenance (such as process valves, vent valves, measuring devices, etc.) are usually not located at the edge of the tank (with the exception of foam generators). In addition, guardrails are installed on the top of storage tanks, and their height should be no less than 1.05–1.10 meters. 2. Guardrails at the top of storage tanks are equipped with toe plates as required; there are strict specifications regarding the gap between these toe plates and the tank roof, and there are also strict requirements for the width of the toe plates themselves (which should not be less than 75 mm) ； There are also strict requirements regarding the position of the waist support on the railing (it should be at 1/2 of the railing’s height); these design specifications are intended to prevent operators from slipping accidentally. 3. The value of over 2m refers to the reference level, while the reference level for operations on the tank top should be the tank top operation platform. This post was last edited by clguan on 2009-3-21 13:10]

Definition of work at height: Any work carried out at a height of 2 meters or more (including 2 meters) above the reference level for falling, where there is a risk of falling. I think working on the top of the tank poses a risk of falling to the ground, and that ground also serves as a reference level – it’s not the reference level closest to the people, but rather the level onto which one might fall.

And I think it has nothing to do with whether there are railings or not; even with very secure railings, as long as there is a possibility of falling, that \"what if\" scenario can still occur.