Reviewing accident data in the country, it is observed that a large number of these correspond to activities related to poor practices in work at heights. For this reason, it is important to be clear about the regulations, requirements, and good practices that govern this activity in the country.
Resolution 4272 of December 27, 2021, applies to all hiring employers, contractors, apprentices, and workers of all economic activities that perform work at heights, as well as to occupational risk administrators, training centers, and work-at-height training centers. However, some exceptions to the resolution are provided, such as:
Emergency response and rescue activities, military and police operations in actions inherent to the service, sports activities, high mountain activities, recreational or artistic activities, and activities performed on animals.
This decree updated the definition of work at heights, defining it as:
Any activity performed by a worker that causes suspension and/or displacement, in which the worker is exposed to a risk of falling, greater than 2.0 meters, relative to the plane of the worker's feet to the nearest lower horizontal plane, if necessary.
This statement does not mean that workers who work at heights of 2.0 meters are unprotected, as they must also be subject to the risk management system and, if necessary, be trained. The employer must determine in its management system what type of training it should provide to these workers. However, mandatory certification will not be required, as it will only be required for work performed at levels greater than 2.0 meters.
Another important modification is the definition of the authorized worker, leaving aside the training levels, which before the validity of the studied decree were divided into basic and advanced. This division is eliminated, and a single training level is established for the authorized worker, which will go hand in hand with the worker designated by the employer, whose health was previously evaluated and considered fit for work at heights. Likewise, the worker must have proof of training and instruction in work at heights or, failing that, a certificate of labor competence for work at heights.
Article 7 of the resolution establishes the prevention measures and instructs the employer or contractor to define them, which represents a change compared to the resolutions previously issued by the Ministry of Labor, as it goes from being a technical regulation to a resolution that sets out certain conditions or minimum requirements for the development of work at heights. Clear responsibilities are attributed to the employer or contractor, giving them the task of defining the prevention measures to be applied at each work site where work at heights is performed, whether routine or non-routine tasks, which must be consistent with the economic activity and the tasks that comprise it.
Among the prevention measures provided are training, training procedures, psychophysical aptitude, occupational health surveillance, engineering systems for fall prevention, collective prevention measures, work-at-height permits, checklists, hazard analyses, and, among others, the procedures that the work-at-height coordinator establishes as necessary to increase the effectiveness of the program and the efficacy of controls.
Now, as indicated, this resolution sets the minimum duration of training, which depends on the role and purpose of the activity. However, the duration of training may be longer, as depending on the economic sector, the company's needs, and its management system, it may have a longer duration, with the clarification that in no case may it be less than what is shown below:
| ROLE | TARGET PERSONNEL | DURATION |
| Area managers for work at heights | Individuals who make administrative decisions regarding the application of this resolution in companies where the risk of falling from work at heights has been identified as a priority. | Minimum 8 hours |
| Authorized worker | Workers who perform work at heights and apprentices from training and education institutions and SENA, who must be trained and instructed by the same institution when they are enrolled in programs whose practice involves a risk of falling from heights. | Minimum 32 hours |
| Work-at-height coordinator | Personnel responsible for controlling risks in workplaces where work at heights is performed. | Minimum 80 hours |
| Work-at-height trainer | Responsible for training area managers for work at heights, authorized workers, work-at-height coordinators, and work-at-height trainers. | Minimum 130 hours |
On the other hand, the general provisions of training and instruction that must be taken into account with the minimum times for each certification are contained, as shown below:
| PROGRAM | CHARACTERISTICS | MODALITY |
| Training programs for area managers | Its intensity will be a minimum of eight (8) hours with 100% of the time in theoretical training activities. | It can be in-person or virtual. |
| Work-at-height coordinator programs | Minimum of 80 hours of intensity (60%) of the time in training activities and (40%) for theoretical training activities. | The program will be delivered in person. |
| Programs for authorized workers | Minimum thirty-two (32) hours of intensity; (60%) of the time will be allocated to training activities and (40%) for theoretical training activities. | Training and instruction for authorized workers at heights must be delivered in person. |
Another fundamental change included in this resolution is related to the retraining of workers at heights. This is necessary in the sense that it is a condition to continue performing work at heights and must be carried out when the worker is employed and in the economic sector in which the company performs its functions, so that if a worker performs their duties in the electrical sector, retraining must be carried out in the electrical sector. Additionally, and as an activity for risk prevention, the employer may conduct an evaluation of workers who have had observations from the coordinator of work at heights.
Finally, it is important to note that when failures are detected in the application of prevention measures and in the use of fall protection systems by the worker, the worker must undergo immediate retraining. This measure must be reported to the ARL for follow-up and advice.
Hernando Zuñiga – AZC CONSULTING ATTORNEY