Working at height means working in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. This includes working at ground level near an edge or opening where you could fall.
Do you have work at height activities in your workplace?
Let's identify what applies to you.
What is working at height?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 define work at height as:
Work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
This is deliberately broad. It includes:
- Working on a ladder, scaffold, or mobile elevated work platform (MEWP)
- Working near or on a flat roof, even if it has edge protection
- Working near an unprotected edge, open floor, or fragile surface
- Accessing or working in an excavation
- Working from ground level but next to an open pit or water
- Working on a loading bay
There is no minimum height threshold. If you could fall and hurt yourself — even from ground level into a hole or down a slope — it's working at height.
What counts as working at height?
Examples that ARE working at height:
- Using a stepladder to change a light bulb
- Cleaning windows above ground floor
- Working on scaffolding
- Roof maintenance or repairs
- Installing or maintaining signage
- Accessing high storage racking
- Working near an unprotected edge (loading bay, mezzanine floor)
- Tree surgery
- Working from a cherry picker or scissor lift
- Working in a warehouse with raised areas
- Painting or decorating at height
Examples that are NOT usually considered working at height:
- Walking up stairs (unless near an unprotected edge)
- Working on a flat, stable surface with no risk of falling
- Climbing a permanent staircase with handrails
The key question is: "If safety measures were removed, could someone fall and be injured?" If yes, it's working at height.
The hierarchy of controls
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require you to follow a strict hierarchy when planning work at height:
1. Avoid work at height where possible
The best control is to eliminate the risk entirely.
Ask yourself:
- Can the task be done from ground level?
- Can equipment be brought down rather than working up?
- Can windows be cleaned from inside or with extendable poles?
- Can light fittings be lowered for maintenance?
- Can sensors or long-life bulbs reduce access needs?
Warehouse eliminates work at height for stock checks
A logistics company had staff regularly climbing racking to conduct manual stock checks, creating significant fall risks.
90% reduction in work at height activities. Eliminated routine exposure to fall risks while improving efficiency and accuracy of stock management.
Technology and process redesign can often eliminate the need to work at height entirely. Always ask: 'Do we really need to access this area?'
2. Use work equipment to prevent falls
If you cannot avoid working at height, use equipment that prevents anyone from falling:
Collective protection (protects everyone):
- Guardrails and edge protection
- Scaffolding with proper edge protection
- Mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) with guardrails
- Safety nets
- Airbags or soft landing systems
These are preferred because they protect everyone automatically without relying on individual behavior.
3. Minimize the distance and consequences of a fall
If you cannot prevent falls entirely, minimize the consequences:
Fall arrest systems:
- Personal fall arrest systems (harness and lanyard)
- Fall arrest nets
- Safety lines
Important: Fall arrest equipment requires:
- Proper training in use and fitting
- Regular inspection
- Rescue plan (how you'll get someone down if they fall and are suspended)
- Medical clearance (suspension trauma can be fatal)
Fall arrest is the LAST resort, not the first choice. It stops you hitting the ground, but you can still be injured, and suspension trauma is a serious risk. Always prefer equipment that prevents falls.
Types of access equipment
Scaffolding
Scaffolding provides a stable working platform for extended work at height.
Requirements:
- Must be erected by competent, trained persons
- Design must be suitable for the load and work type
- Edge protection required (guardrails, toe boards, intermediate rails)
- Inspected before first use and then every 7 days
- Inspected after any event that could affect stability (wind, impact)
- Tagged with inspection status
When to use:
- Long-duration work at fixed locations
- Heavy materials or equipment needed
- Multiple workers accessing same area
- Complex building facades
Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs)
Also called cherry pickers, scissor lifts, or boom lifts.
Requirements:
- Operators must be trained and competent
- Pre-use checks required daily
- Ground conditions must be suitable
- Fall protection required (guardrails standard, harness if specified)
- Exclusion zones around the base
- Awareness of overhead hazards (power lines, structures)
When to use:
- Work at various heights or locations
- Quick access needed
- Ground-level work not possible but task is relatively short
- Indoor or outdoor maintenance
MEWPs are not a replacement for scaffolding for long-duration work. Battery life, weather, and ground conditions all affect suitability.
Ladders and stepladders
Ladders are a legitimate work equipment choice, but only when other equipment is not justified due to:
- Low risk (short duration, low height)
- Existing workplace features that can't be altered
- Nature of the task (light work, short duration)
Ladders should NOT be used for:
- Work that takes more than 30 minutes at a time
- Work requiring significant force or twisting
- Carrying bulky or heavy items
- Work where you need both hands free
When using ladders:
- Secure at top and bottom (or use stabilizers)
- Extend at least 1 metre above landing point (if accessing a platform)
- Angle approximately 75° (1 unit out for every 4 units up)
- Maintain 3 points of contact when climbing
- Inspect before each use
- Trained in correct use
Ladder vs Platform — When is a ladder acceptable?
Ladder Acceptable
- •Task takes less than 30 minutes
- •Light work only (inspection, light cleaning)
- •Can maintain 3 points of contact
- •Not carrying tools or materials
- •Indoor or stable outdoor conditions
- •Short vertical distance
Platform Required
Recommended- •Work duration exceeds 30 minutes
- •Need both hands free for the task
- •Carrying materials up and down
- •Working with power tools
- •Painting, plastering, or similar work
- •Repeated ascent and descent required
Bottom line: Ladders are for access and short-duration, light work only. If you need a stable working platform, proper tools and materials at height, or prolonged work, use scaffolding or a MEWP.
Stepladders
Stepladders follow the same rules as ladders:
Safe use:
- Fully open and locked
- All four feet on firm, level ground
- Don't stand on top two steps (unless specifically designed platform steps)
- Don't overreach — move the stepladder
- Face the stepladder, maintain 3 points of contact
- Suitable for the load (your weight + tools/materials)
Edge protection requirements
If people work near an edge where they could fall 2 metres or more, you must provide edge protection:
Standard edge protection consists of:
- Top guardrail: 950mm-1150mm above the working surface
- Intermediate guardrail: Midway between the top rail and toe board
- Toe board: At least 150mm high, to prevent materials falling off
- Gap between toe board and intermediate rail: Maximum 470mm
Where edge protection is required:
- Flat roofs during maintenance
- Scaffolding platforms
- Mezzanine floors
- Loading bays
- Excavations (barrier or fencing)
- Roof edges during construction
Edge protection must be strong enough to prevent someone from falling through or over it. Temporary barriers like tape or cones are NOT adequate.
Fall arrest vs fall prevention
Understanding the difference is critical:
Fall prevention
Stops you from falling in the first place.
Examples:
- Guardrails
- Scaffolding with edge protection
- MEWP with guardrails
- Safety nets positioned to catch you before you fall far
This is the preferred approach — you don't fall at all, so no injury.
Fall arrest
Stops your fall once it has started.
Examples:
- Harness and lanyard system
- Rope access systems
- Fall arrest nets (positioned further below)
Fall arrest must include:
- Suitable anchor point (tested and rated)
- Properly fitted harness (CE marked, in date)
- Shock-absorbing lanyard or similar
- Training in correct use
- Rescue plan — how you'll get the person down
- Awareness of suspension trauma (can be fatal within minutes)
Roofer falls 4 metres — harness saves his life but project shut down
A roofing contractor was working on a commercial building using fall arrest equipment. He slipped on wet felt and fell, arrested by his harness.
- ✗No rescue plan in place — emergency services took 40 minutes to reach him
- ✗Suspension trauma set in — worker hospitalized
- ✗No risk assessment for wet weather working
- ✗Supervisor not trained in harness rescue
- ✗No consideration of edge protection or netting
HSE issued prohibition notice stopping all work at height on site. Company fined £40,000 plus costs. Worker made full recovery but unable to return to work for 6 months.
Fall arrest equipment saves lives, but it's not a complete solution. You MUST have a rescue plan, and you should always consider whether fall prevention (like edge protection or netting) is more appropriate.
Competence and training requirements
Everyone involved in work at height must be competent. This means:
For workers:
- Understand the risks
- Know how to use equipment correctly
- Can recognize when it's unsafe to proceed
- Regular refresher training
For supervisors:
- Can plan work at height properly
- Understand the hierarchy of controls
- Can conduct risk assessments
- Know when specialist equipment or contractors are needed
For equipment operators (MEWPs, etc.):
- Formal training and certification (e.g., IPAF for MEWPs)
- Familiarization with specific equipment model
- Pre-use check procedures
- Emergency and rescue procedures
Training alone does not make someone competent. Competence = training + experience + knowledge. Don't ask inexperienced workers to plan or supervise work at height.
Inspection requirements
All work at height equipment must be inspected regularly:
Work at Height Inspection Schedule
Visual check of ladders, stepladders, MEWPs, harnesses before each use
Detailed inspection of scaffolding, recorded by competent person
Inspect scaffold after high winds, heavy rain, or any event that could affect stability
Detailed inspection and service of harnesses, lanyards, anchor points by competent person
Thorough examination under LOLER regulations by competent person
Inspect all new or altered equipment before first use
Inspection records must include:
- Date of inspection
- Location of equipment
- Description of equipment
- Defects identified
- Immediate action taken
- Name and signature of inspector
Planning requirements
The Work at Height Regulations require you to:
1. Properly plan the work
- Identify hazards and assess risks
- Select appropriate equipment
- Consider weather, lighting, access
- Determine competence needed
- Plan emergency and rescue procedures
2. Supervise the work
- Ensure workers follow the plan
- Monitor conditions (weather changes, etc.)
- Stop work if unsafe conditions develop
3. Use competent people
- Workers trained and experienced
- Supervisors able to recognize and control risks
- Equipment operators properly trained
For complex or high-risk work at height, create a written plan. Include task description, equipment to be used, personnel required, emergency procedures, and sign-off process.
Common causes of falls from height
Understanding what goes wrong helps you prevent it:
1. Ladder incidents (most common)
- Ladder not secured or at wrong angle
- Overreaching rather than moving the ladder
- Worn or damaged feet
- Unsuitable surface (soft ground, uneven)
- Carrying items while climbing
2. Falls through fragile surfaces
- Rooflights
- Old asbestos cement sheets
- Corroded metal sheets
- Boarding over joists that isn't load-bearing
- Not recognizing fragile materials
3. Slips and trips at height
- Wet or icy surfaces
- Loose materials on scaffold boards
- Uneven surfaces
- Poor lighting
- Inadequate footwear
4. Equipment failure
- Scaffold collapse (poor erection or overloading)
- Ladder failure (damaged stiles, broken rungs)
- Anchor point failure (not rated or corroded)
- Guardrail not secured properly
5. Human error
- Taking shortcuts (removing edge protection "temporarily")
- Lack of training or competence
- Working alone without supervision
- Fatigue or rushing
Falls from height are the biggest single cause of workplace fatalities in the UK. Most are preventable through proper planning, suitable equipment, and following the hierarchy of controls.
Fragile surfaces
Special care is needed with fragile surfaces — surfaces that would not support the weight of a person.
Common fragile surfaces:
- Rooflights (plastic or glass)
- Asbestos cement roof sheets
- Liner panels in metal roofing
- Old corroded metal sheets
- Chipboard or plywood that has deteriorated
- Slates or tiles without support underneath
Controls required:
- Identify and mark fragile surfaces
- Use crawling boards or roof ladders to distribute weight
- Cover or protect openings
- Use platforms or nets below as fall arrest
- Consider whether access is really necessary (use drones for inspection?)
Worker falls through roof light during survey
A building surveyor was inspecting a flat roof and stepped onto what he thought was a solid surface. It was a 25-year-old plastic rooflight that had become brittle.
- ✗No pre-survey to identify fragile surfaces
- ✗Rooflights not marked or protected
- ✗No risk assessment for accessing the roof
- ✗Working alone with no supervision
- ✗No edge protection or crawling boards
Worker fell 4 metres through the rooflight onto a concrete floor below. Serious spinal injuries. Company prosecuted and fined £80,000.
Never assume surfaces are safe. Identify fragile surfaces before accessing roofs, mark or protect them, and use crawling boards or platforms. Rooflights are one of the most common causes of falls through roofs.
Frequently asked questions
There is no minimum height. Working at height is defined by the potential for injury from a fall, not by the height itself. You could be working at height even at ground level if there's a risk of falling into a hole, pit, or down a slope.
Yes, but only for short-duration work (less than 30 minutes) involving light tasks where you can maintain three points of contact. For longer work, work requiring both hands, or carrying materials, you must use a working platform like scaffolding or a MEWP.
Yes. Anyone using ladders or stepladders for work must be trained in their safe use, including how to secure them, correct angle, inspection, and recognizing when a ladder is not appropriate.
IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) provides training and certification for operating mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs). IPAF certification is widely recognized as the industry standard for MEWP operators.
Ladders must be visually inspected before each use. In addition, formal inspections should be conducted at regular intervals (typically every 3-6 months depending on use) by a competent person, with records kept.
No, not if the scaffolding has proper edge protection (guardrails, intermediate rails, and toe boards). The edge protection prevents falls, which is always preferred over fall arrest equipment like harnesses.
Suspension trauma occurs when a person is suspended vertically in a harness after a fall. Blood pools in the legs, and if the person is not rescued quickly, it can lead to unconsciousness and death within minutes. This is why you MUST have a rescue plan before using fall arrest equipment.
Only competent, trained persons should erect, dismantle, or significantly alter scaffolding. Many scaffolders hold CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) cards. Never ask untrained workers to erect scaffold.
Yes. If you're self-employed and your work could put yourself or others at risk, you must comply with the Work at Height Regulations. You have the same duties as an employer.
A competent person has the training, experience, and knowledge to identify whether equipment is safe to use. For complex equipment (like scaffolding or MEWPs), this usually means someone with formal qualifications and significant experience.
Next steps
If you're planning work at height, start with a risk assessment:
Working at Height Risk Assessment Template →
If you're not sure whether your current arrangements are adequate:
Need expert review of your work at height arrangements? A qualified health and safety consultant can assess your risks and recommend the right equipment and procedures.
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