Barricades ? and why it is important ?

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The purpose of barricades is to protect personnel by preventing or controlling access to hazard/high risk work area by the installation and maintenance of barricades.

General  

• Barricades shall be erection to prevent personnel from inadvertently been exposed to a hazard.
• Examples of when barricading shall be erected includes, where there is a danger of a person falling or being struck by falling objects, where there is a danger of injury from equipment or processes or for maintenance of switchboards & high voltage testing 
• Work  requiring  a  barricade  shall  not  commence  until  the  requirements  of  this procedure have been satisfied
• Barricades shall be removed when work have been completed or when the hazard is controlled.

Barricade Safety

Where  barricade  tape  is  used  to  restrict  access  to  an  area  the  following  rules  apply minimum:

• The barricade area must encompass the entire potentially affected area of the area hazard-i.e. spark, falling object, leaks etc. (take into account the possible deflection of an object from a structure below if it falls)
• Where it is used to protect from a trip hazard or unprotected edge (less than 2m high) the barricade must be installed at least 2 meter back from the edge/hazard. 
• The barricade shall be maintained in good condition ensuring it remains effective as a control  measure.  The  supervisor  and  work  party  are  responsible  to  monitor  the condition of the barricade

Types of Barricading

Barricades  can  be  classed  as  either  a  soft  barricade  or  a  hard  (solid)  barricade. Soft barricades are those that use an approved tape to prevent or restrict access to an area. A hard barricade is a physical structure such as scaffold tubes or water filled devices that prevent or restrict access to an area. 

Appropriate Signage

All  barricades  must  be  fitted  with  signage.  The  follow  indicates  what  signage  is appropriate for each barricade  The signage must detail: The name of the person in charge,  The hazard, The date and  The contact details of the person in charge of the area, if required.

Removal of Barricades

Tapes  and  barricades  shall  be  removed  once  they  are  no  longer  required  (i.e  hazard controlled/  work  completed  etc.).  This  shall  normally  be  done  by  the  persons  who installed the tape or barricade. 

Note: Outside of normal work hours where the work party involved with the barricade is not  present  on  site,  the  shift  coordinator  can  authorize  access  into  a  barricade area following assessing and confirming it is safe to enter.