Working at height: how CCTV installers can stay safe

Most CCTV cameras are mounted above head height, so nearly every job in this trade involves working at height. Technicians climb ladders dozens of times a week, usually with their hands full, often in a hurry and often on someone else's premises. Because it's so routine, it's easy to forget that falls are a leading cause of serious workplace injury and death in construction-related work.

Nothing in this guide replaces local law, proper training or a qualified safety adviser. Rules differ from place to place. Use it to shape your company's habits, then check them against what applies where you work.

Start with three questions

Before anyone goes up, ask:

1. Can we avoid working at height? Pre-assemble and configure cameras on the ground. Use a motorised zoom lens so that adjustment can happen remotely, rather than on a ladder. Choose a mounting point that's easier to reach, if it still does the job.
2. If not, what's the safest way to do it? A platform is usually safer than a ladder. A lift may be safer than a long ladder.
3. If someone could still fall, how do we limit the harm? Use guardrails, fall arrest systems or other protection, with training.

This order matters. Many technicians head straight for the ladder simply because it's on the van.

Ladders

Ladders are appropriate for short, light work, when a safer option isn't practical. Many injuries come from small errors.

Choosing a ladder

• Choose the right type and height. A ladder that's too short tempts someone to stand on the top rungs.
• Check its load rating, including the person, tools and materials.
• Use non-conductive fibreglass when working near electricity. Aluminium conducts.
• Replace damaged ladders. Don't repair bent rungs or cracked rails.

Before each use

• Check rungs, feet, locks and hinges.
• Clean mud or grease from the rungs and your boots.
• Inspect the ground. It must be firm and level.
• Check overhead for power lines, lights and other hazards.
• Cordon off the area below, especially in public spaces and in front of doors.

Setting it up

• Lean extension ladders at about a 1-in-4 angle: one unit out for every four units up.
• Extend the ladder beyond the landing point, generally about a metre, if stepping off onto a higher surface.
• Secure the top, and tie it off where possible. If you can't, have someone foot the base, though that gives only limited protection.
• Never place a ladder in front of a closed door unless the door is locked or guarded.
• Never put it on a box, a table or a vehicle to gain height.

While climbing and working

• Keep three points of contact while climbing: two feet and one hand, or two hands and one foot.
• Use a tool belt or hoist to carry tools. Don't carry heavy items up by hand.
• Keep your body within the rails. Don't overreach. Climb down and move the ladder instead.
• Don't stand on the top rungs or top cap of a stepladder.
• Only one person should be on the ladder.
• Don't use it in strong wind or heavy rain, or when you're tired or unwell.

Overreaching is one of the most common errors, because moving a ladder feels like a waste of time when there's just one screw left to tighten.

Mobile towers, scaffolds and platforms

For higher or longer work, a tower or platform can give a far safer working surface.

• Have towers assembled only by trained people, following the manufacturer's instructions.
• Use guardrails and toe boards as required.
• Lock the wheels when anyone is working on the tower.
• Never move a tower with someone on it.
• Inspect regularly, and record inspections where the rules require.
• Follow the maker's height limits, and stabilise it as instructed.

Mobile lifts

Scissor lifts and boom lifts make high-level work much easier, especially in warehouses.

• Only trained, authorised operators should use them.
• Check the floor. Can it take the load? Are there any slopes, pits or holes?
• Look for overhead obstructions that could crush someone against the controls.
• Wear a harness when required, particularly in boom lifts. Clip on to the correct anchor point.
• Keep the area clear with barriers, and use a spotter in busy areas.
• Don't climb on guardrails to gain height.

Allow for lift hire in your quote. Learn more in our guide to quoting CCTV jobs. Otherwise, the pressure to "just use the ladder" will be strong on the day.

Roofs and edges

Roof work carries particular dangers.

• Fragile surfaces: Skylights, old asbestos cement and light metal sheets can give way with no warning. Treat all roofs as fragile until confirmed otherwise.
• Edges: Guardrails or a restraint system should stop someone from reaching the edge.
• Weather: Wet, windy and hot conditions all increase the risk.
• Access: Getting onto and off a roof is often the most dangerous moment.
• Working alone: Don't. Someone should know where you are and how to help.

If you are unsure about the roof, stop and get help. Consider mounting from a different location, or subcontract the work to a specialist.

Personal fall protection

A harness isn't a magic solution. It only helps if it's used properly.

• Staff must be trained in fitting, inspection, anchor points and rescue.
• The anchor must be strong enough and properly positioned. Don't clip to a conduit or a light fitting.
• Know the fall clearance. A lanyard needs enough distance below it to work.
• Inspect it before each use, and replace it after a fall.
• Have a rescue plan. Someone hanging in a harness needs to be brought down quickly.

Restraint equipment, which stops someone from reaching an edge, is generally preferable to fall arrest, which only activates once a fall has begun.

Electrical hazards

Working at height with metal tools often puts your team near power.

• Identify overhead lines before setting up ladders outside. Stay well clear, at the distance required locally.
• Check for hidden cables before drilling, using a detector and building drawings.
• Stay away from live busbars and panels unless you're qualified.
• A small shock at height can cause a deadly fall, even if the shock itself wouldn't have.

Protecting people below

Dropped tools can cause serious injury to others.

• Use tool lanyards.
• Keep materials in bags or pouches.
• Set up cones, tape or barriers below the work area.
• Don't throw tools or materials up or down.
• Wear hard hats where there's a risk of falling objects.
• Schedule work to avoid busy times in public areas.

Assess the risk before the job

Height issues should be identified during your site survey, not when the team arrives. For each camera, record:

• the mounting height
• the surface below and any obstructions
• what access equipment is needed
• whether power lines or fragile surfaces are near
• whether traffic or the public is a concern
• whether the customer has any specific rules

Before starting work, do a quick on-site check and adjust it, since site conditions can change. This doesn't need to be complicated. A short list completed by the lead technician can help people stop and think.

Give people the right to stop

This may be the most important rule in the guide. Any technician must be able to say "this isn't safe" without being punished.

Consider what happens if someone calls the office saying that the ladder isn't long enough to reach a camera safely. If the answer is "just get it done, the customer's waiting", you've taught everyone that safety is secondary. If the answer is "thanks for calling, we'll book a lift", you've built a safer company, and the extra cost is simply part of doing business.

Scheduling pressure causes many shortcuts. Build realistic time into your job schedule, and don't reward speed at the cost of safety.

Training and fitness

• Train all staff on ladder safety before their first job. See our training plan.
• Provide formal training for towers, lifts and harnesses, and keep records of that training.
• Refresh training regularly.
• Have new staff work with someone experienced.
• Ask whether staff have conditions that may affect working at height, and handle this respectfully and lawfully.
• Don't let anyone climb if they're dizzy, tired, or under the influence of alcohol or medication that affects them.

Inspection and records

• Number your ladders, and inspect them on a regular schedule.
• Remove damaged equipment right away, and tag it so nobody uses it by mistake.
• Keep records of inspections and training.
• Record accidents and near misses, and discuss them without blame.

Near misses are particularly useful. Each one is a free warning. When a technician says that a ladder slipped but they caught it, take it seriously, and find out why.

Know your obligations

Employers commonly have duties to assess risk, train staff, supply suitable equipment and report serious accidents. Check your local rules, plus any insurance conditions. A claim may be affected if the rules weren't followed. Commercial customers may also ask for method statements, risk assessments and training records before you can start.

A quick checklist before going up

• Could this be done from the ground, or in a safer way?
• Is the equipment right for the height and task?
• Has it been inspected today?
• Is the ground firm and level?
• Is the ladder secured, or are guardrails in place?
• Are there any power lines or fragile surfaces nearby?
• Is the area below protected?
• Are tools secured?
• Is the weather suitable?
• Does someone know where you are, and could they help?

No camera is worth a serious injury. Companies that take this seriously also tend to look more professional to customers, particularly those with their own safety requirements.