The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, the self-employed, and any person that controls the work of others (for example building owners who may contract others to work at height).

The Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007 apply to those who work at height providing instruction or leadership to one or more people engaged in caving or climbing by way of sport, recreation, team building or similar activities.

The most common risk factors involve failure to:

• recognise a problem;
• provide safe systems of work;
• ensure that safe systems of work are followed;
• provide adequate information, instruction, training or supervision;
• use appropriate equipment; and
• provide safe equipment.

As part of the Regulations, duty holders must ensure:-

• all work at height is properly planned and organised;
• those involved in work at height are competent;
• the risks from work at height are assessed and appropriate work equipment is selected and used;
• the risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled; and
• equipment for work at height is properly inspected and maintained.

There is a simple hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment for work at height. Duty holders must:

• avoid work at height where they can;
• use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls
• where they cannot avoid working at height; and
• where they cannot eliminate the risk of a fall, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and
• consequences of a fall should one occur.

The Regulations include schedules giving requirements for existing places of work and means of access for work at height, collective fall prevention (e.g. guardrails and working platforms), collective fall arrest (e.g. nets, airbags etc), personal fall protection (e.g. work restraints, fall arrest and rope access) and ladders.

Our key messages to duty holders are:

• Those following good practice for work at height should already be doing enough to comply with the Work at Height Regulations; 
• Follow the risk assessments you have carried out for work at height activities and make sure all work at height is planned, organised and carried out by competent persons;
• Follow the hierarchy for managing risks from work at height - take steps to avoid, prevent or reduce risks; and
• Choose the right work equipment and select collective measures to prevent falls (such as guardrails and working platforms) before other measures which may only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall (such as nets or airbags) or which may only provide personal protection from a fall.

Some sensible tips for using a ladder safely are listed below. The ladder should be:

• Prevented from slipping,
• Prevented from moving before it is stepped on,
• Long enough to do the job safely,
• Have a handhold available to allow the worker to maintain 3 points of contact where possible,
• Used without overreaching,
• Inspected and checked regularly where necessary.

For more information access the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as Amended) – A Brief Guide’ guidance booklet.

For those that have to prepare a risk assessment for work at height we strongly recommend that you refer to the Regulations themselves to ensure that your arrangements are suitable and sufficient, available form the Office of Public Sector Information website.

The Health and Safety Executive’s website has a comprehensive section on work at height.