WORKING AT HEIGHT REGULATIONS 2005
In 2003/04 falls from heights accounted for 67 fatal accidents at work and
nearly 400 major injuries. They remain the single biggest cause of workplace
deaths and one of the main causes of major injuries. The regulations have
the force of law and are designed to prevent injuries and deaths, by
establishing minimum requirements for work at height.
Falls from heights are generally caused by poor working practices rather
than defects and faults in equipment. These working practices include using
incorrect equipment, inadequate instruction, training or supervision,
equipment being used wrongly, poor recognition of an access problem and lack
of provision of safe equipment.
The Health and Safety Executive have published a 12 page guide to the
Regulations which can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf It has
been written so that in most cases it can be used without access to the full
Regulations.

What is Work at Height?
Work at Height is defined as any work at a workplace from which a person
could be injured falling from any height, even at or below ground level. It
does not apply to permanent stairways or travel to or from work. For
instance a sales assistant on a stepladder would be working at height.
The regulations apply to all employers, the self-employed and any person who
controls the work of others such as a building's owners who contracts others
to work at height.

Regulations Hierarchy
The Regulations set out a simple hierarchy for managing and selecting
equipment for work at height:-

1. Avoid work at height where possible (eg use equipment that removes the
need)
2. Use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where they cannot
eliminate working at height (eg guard rails or barriers)
3. Where the risk of falls cannot be eliminated, use work equipment or
other measures to minimise the distance or consequence of a fall should one
occur (eg nets or fall arrest equipment)
Responsibilities of Controllers of Work
They must ensure that :
- all work at height is properly planned and organised
- weather conditions which might endanger safety are taken into account
- anyone working at height is competent or supervised by a trained person
- the place where work at height is done is safe
- work at height equipment is inspected both before use, after assembly and
regularly thereafter if left in place for more than seven days
- the risks of falling objects are properly controlled (eg toeboards on
work platforms)

Risk Assessment
Before any work at height is carried out, a careful examination of the risks
that could harm people must be undertaken. This could include whether enough
precautions to prevent falls have been taken and whether the safest method
of both reaching the work and working have been selected. An assessment of
the hazards involved could include ground conditions, weather and wind
forces as well as close proximity to electrical cables etc together with the
type of tools and materials needed for the work.