Guide
Comply with work at height regulations
How to meet your legal duties under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Covers risk assessment, the hierarchy of controls, equipment selection, and specific requirements for ladders, scaffolds, and fragile surfaces.
Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths in Great Britain. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to take specific steps to prevent falls - and they apply at any height where someone could be injured, not just at significant elevations.
These regulations affect almost every business at some point - whether it's maintenance workers on ladders, warehouse staff accessing high shelving, or window cleaners on your premises.
What counts as work at height?
Work at height has a specific legal definition that's broader than many employers expect:
This means the regulations apply to activities like:
- Changing light bulbs from a stepladder
- Cleaning gutters from a ladder
- Working on a flat roof (even with edge protection)
- Accessing mezzanine levels
- Working near holes or openings in floors
- Stacking shelves at height in warehouses
If someone could fall and hurt themselves, it's work at height regardless of the actual height involved.
The hierarchy of controls
The regulations require you to follow a strict hierarchy when planning work at height:
Applying this in practice:
- Avoid: Can the work be done from ground level? Use extendable tools, telescopic equipment, or bring items down to work on them
- Prevent: If work must be at height, use platforms with guardrails, scaffolding, or tower scaffolds rather than ladders. If collective protection isn't possible, use work restraint (prevents reaching the edge) before fall arrest (catches you if you fall)
- Minimise: If a fall cannot be prevented, use airbags, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems to reduce injury severity
You must not move down the hierarchy until you've genuinely considered and ruled out options higher up.
Competent persons
The regulations require competent persons to be involved at every stage:
How to plan and manage work at height
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Identify all work at height tasks
Audit your operations to identify where work at height occurs - including occasional maintenance, cleaning, and access for repairs. Many businesses underestimate how often work at height happens.
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Apply the hierarchy of controls
For each task, work through: Can we avoid it? Can we prevent falls with collective protection? Only move to personal protection if genuinely necessary.
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Select appropriate equipment
Choose equipment based on: duration of work, frequency, height involved, ground conditions, and worker capability. See specific guidance below on ladders vs scaffolds vs MEWPs.
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Ensure competence
Train workers in the specific equipment they'll use. Check competence through observation. Ensure supervisors understand the work at height requirements.
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Check conditions before starting
Check weather conditions (wind, rain, ice), equipment condition, and that rescue arrangements are in place before work begins.
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Supervise and monitor
Ensure controls are being followed. Workers under time pressure may take shortcuts - supervision prevents this.
Fragile surfaces
Work on or near fragile surfaces is particularly dangerous and requires specific precautions:
Many roof deaths involve fragile materials, particularly rooflights and fibre cement sheets. Never assume a surface is safe - many materials deteriorate with age and look solid but will not support weight.
Using ladders safely
Ladders are not banned, but they're only suitable in specific circumstances:
When ladders may be appropriate:
- Short duration work (minutes, not hours)
- Light work that can be done with one hand
- Where the risk is low and other equipment impractical
- For access to other work platforms (not the work itself)
Ladder safety essentials:
- Position at 75° angle (1 out for every 4 up)
- Secure at top or have someone foot the ladder
- Ensure firm, level base
- Extend at least 1 metre above landing point
- Check condition before each use
- Never overreach - move the ladder
Common questions
Do the regulations apply to contractors? Yes. If you control the premises or the work, you have duties. You should check contractors are competent and have safe systems of work.
What about domestic customers? If you're a business doing work at a domestic property, the regulations apply to you and your workers. The householder has no duties.
Can workers refuse unsafe work at height? Yes. Workers should not be pressured into unsafe work. If they raise concerns, you must take them seriously.
What rescue arrangements are needed? You must plan for rescue if someone using fall arrest equipment becomes suspended. Suspension trauma can be fatal within 30 minutes - emergency services may not arrive in time.