Working at Height Regulations 2005

Around 58% of British adults fear heights, and yet there are others who climb and scale for a living!

From crane operators to builders, working at height is routine for many professions and requires extreme precaution and precision.

With the risk of falling, injuries and even death, undertaking any work at height should be done following the strictest health & safety procedures.

The Working at Height Regulations 2005 apply the law to this type of work. Holding employers accountable for the health and safety of staff who are required to work at height, using ladders, scaling buildings, and more.

What is classed as working at height?

When you think of a worker working at height, you may imagine them scaling a 50 floor-building, but the legal definition of working at height covers all types of heights. Not just those extreme examples.

This includes:

• Using ladders (even step ladders)

• Scaffolding

• Working on roofs

• Using elevated platforms such as cherry pickers, scissor lifts, mezzanine floor lifts etc.

• Climbing poles such as a telegraph pole

• Working near edges of buildings or floors

The risks associated with working at heights

It may seem obvious, but there are several risks associated with working at height. If any of your employees are required to scale heights as part of their job, you must be aware of the risks they will be exposed to.

From:

• Falling

• Dropping equipment

• Standing on unstable surfaces

• Falling objects from above

• Electrical hazards

• Changing weather conditions

• Improper use of equipment such as ladders or cherry pickers

What does the law say?

The Working at Height Regulations 2005 place legal obligations on you, the employer, to keep your staff safe. Implementing the necessary measures to reduce the risks of working at height.

You must follow these steps:

1. Promote ground-level work where possible, avoiding unnecessary exposure to heights

2. Conduct thorough risk assessments ahead of time to identify potential hazards

3. Implement control measures

4. Prevent falls from occurring with the use of proper safety equipment

5. Inspect equipment regularly to ensure proper use

6. Plan an emergency procedure in the event of an incident occurring

This is the very basics of what you must do. We can break this down even further into the following stages.

Risk assessment (planning)

A risk assessment for working at height should cover these areas:

• What are the hazards?

• Who could be harmed?

• Evaluate how these risks can be mitigated

• Record all findings and store for easy access (digitally would be best)

• Review and continuously update your risk assessments, especially when changes occur within the workplace.

More on health and safety risk assessments can be found in our 5 steps to a risk assessment article. 

Equip workers with protective equipment

Consider the equipment and resources available to ensure that you limit the risk of injury. Fatality is very much a possibility with workers in these conditions. So, taking all possible precautions is recommended if not your legal duty. Essential PPE for workers at heights includes:

• Safety harness

• Helmets

• Safety footwear

• Fall arrest systems

• Hi-visibility clothing

• Horizontal lifelines

• Gloves, hand grips, and hand protection

• Eye protection

• Lanyards and shock absorbers

Provide training

Training is one of the best ways to educate your staff on the risks of working at heights. It should be standard to offer training to those who will be expected to reach heights as part of their job. But also, for those who will supervise and manage this.

Training must be up-to-date and refresher courses should be offered annually.

With BrightSafe you can keep on top of things like training assignments, overdue courses and more. Our built-in digital learning management system makes health & safety e-learning a breeze. And with specific courses on specific topics such as working at height, all your training can be covered in one easy-to-use platform.

Other considerations

Adverse weather can play havoc with workers at height. You should always review weather conditions and the forecast to check the weather does not pose a risk to workers. Wind, heavy rain, ice, snow etc. can all cause injury when exposed at height.

Taking the necessary measures to prevent risks from occurring and to keep employees as safe as possible is essential.

But it’s not just those who are physically exposed to heights that you should consider. Remember—falling objects are a hazard. So, even workers on ground level should undertake the training necessary to identify hazards and to keep themselves safe. This includes knowing how to supervise a colleague when working at height, using ladders or lifting machinery.

What about one-off situations?

Even in one-off situations, proper planning and procedures should be followed.

For example, an office worker using a ladder to change a lightbulb in their office.

A proper assessment of the risks should be conducted and the safety precautions such as supervision and fall prevention should be provided. Ideally, only those who have completed their relevant training should be scaling heights at work.

Enforcement of the regulations

The HSE are responsible for enforcing the Working at Height Regulations.

They can investigate reports of unsafe practices or accidents.

In minor cases where there’s cause for concern, they will provide advice and guidance.

Recommend improvements so an employer can ensure the safety of staff.

In some circumstances, the HSE can issue a prohibition notice. Blocking an employer from carrying out work until safety issues are resolved.

In most serious cases, the HSE can prosecute. Taking an employer to court, resulting in fines or even imprisonment.

An example of this; the case of East Riding Sacks in North Yorkshire and the death of a night shift worker. Mr Pinder was operating machinery at height when he was struck by a machine and fell three meters. The company were fined over £500,000 for not implementing appropriate measures to prevent the risk of falling from height.

Comply with health & safety regulations with BrightSafe

It goes without saying that the health and safety of your employees in hazardous settings should be your priority. However, it can be difficult to manage everything at once, whilst still getting the job done.

That is why health & safety solutions such as BrightSafe exist. To provide businesses with a total solution for managing and overseeing health and safety practices in the workplace.

From risk management to e-learning courses, and access to 24/7 health and safety advice, BrightSafe is your one-stop, digital solution for all health and safety needs. Including staying compliant with health and safety regulations in the UK.

Book your free demo today to see it in action!