Working at Height Regulations UK: Employer Guide [2026]

Quick Answer: What Is Working at Height?

Working at height means working in any place where a person could fall and be injured. Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, this includes:

• Working on ladders, scaffolding, roofs, or platforms
• Working on or near fragile surfaces
• Working near openings in floors or walls
• Working at ground level near excavations or shafts

Falls from height remain the single largest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK. In 2023/24, falls from height accounted for 40 deaths (approximately 25% of all worker fatalities) and thousands of serious injuries.

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The Work at Height Regulations 2005

These regulations apply across all industries in Great Britain. They replaced a range of older regulations and consolidated all working at height requirements into a single framework.

Who Do the Regulations Apply To?

The regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall that could cause personal injury. This includes:

• Employers and the self-employed
• Anyone who controls the work of others (facility managers, building owners)
• All sectors -- construction, maintenance, warehousing, retail, agriculture, telecoms, tree surgery, cleaning

The Duty Holder Hierarchy

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Employer Duties: The Hierarchy

The regulations set out a clear hierarchy of measures that employers must follow:

1. Avoid Work at Height

The first duty is to avoid working at height altogether where it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Examples:

• Use extendable tools to clean gutters from ground level
• Assemble components at ground level and lift into position
• Design buildings with maintenance access from inside (e.g. inward-opening windows)
• Use drones for building inspections instead of scaffolding

2. Prevent Falls

If work at height cannot be avoided, use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls. This means providing:

• Fixed guardrails, barriers, and toe boards on platforms, roofs, and open edges
• Scaffolding with full edge protection (top rail, mid rail, toe board)
• Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) -- cherry pickers, scissor lifts
• Safety nets installed below the working area
• Podium steps with guardrails for short-duration tasks

3. Minimise the Consequences

If falls cannot be prevented, employers must minimise the distance and consequences of a fall:

• Personal fall protection -- harnesses and lanyards attached to secure anchor points
• Work positioning systems -- allowing workers to be supported while working
• Fall arrest systems -- designed to catch a worker after a fall has begun
• Airbags or bean bags below the working area
• Reduced fall distance -- working from the lowest practical height

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Risk Assessment for Working at Height

Every working at height activity requires a specific risk assessment. Consider:

Hazards to Assess

Planning the Work

The regulations require that all work at height is:

• Properly planned -- including selection of equipment, method of access, rescue arrangements
• Appropriately supervised -- proportionate to the risk
• Carried out by competent persons -- with adequate training and experience
• Takes account of weather conditions -- work may need to be stopped in high winds, rain, or ice

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Equipment Selection

Equipment Hierarchy

The regulations require employers to select the most suitable equipment, taking into account:

1. Working conditions and risks at the specific location
2. Duration and frequency of the work
3. Distance to be covered (vertical and horizontal)
4. Ease of evacuation and rescue in an emergency

Ladders

Ladders are the most common equipment involved in working at height accidents. The regulations allow ladders only when:

• The task is low risk
• The task is of short duration (typically under 30 minutes in a single position)
• The site conditions prevent the use of safer alternatives
• A risk assessment has confirmed the ladder is suitable

Safe ladder use:

• Maintain 3 points of contact at all times
• Do not overreach -- keep your belt buckle within the stile
• Secure the ladder at the top or have it footed at the base
• Use on a firm, level surface
• Do not carry heavy or bulky items up a ladder
• Industrial ladders must conform to BS 2037 (metal) or BS 1129 (timber)

Scaffolding

Scaffolding must be:

• Erected, altered, and dismantled by competent persons (CISRS-trained scaffolders for complex scaffolds)
• Inspected before first use, after any event likely to affect stability, and at regular intervals not exceeding 7 days
• Recorded in a scaffold inspection register
• Designed to carry the expected loads (workers, materials, equipment)
• Provided with full edge protection: top rail (950mm minimum), mid rail, and toe board (150mm minimum)

Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs)

MEWPs (cherry pickers, scissor lifts) provide a safe working platform with integral guardrails. Requirements:

• Operators must be trained and competent (IPAF or equivalent certification)
• The MEWP must be suitable for the ground conditions and task
• Outriggers must be fully deployed on firm ground
• Daily pre-use checks must be carried out
• A rescue plan must be in place

Harnesses and Fall Arrest Systems

Personal fall protection is a last resort -- it does not prevent a fall but reduces the consequences:

• Harnesses must be CE-marked and appropriate for the task
• Lanyards must limit free fall to 2 metres maximum (or use an inertia reel/retractable fall arrester)
• Anchor points must be capable of supporting 12 kN (approximately 1,200 kg)
• Users must be trained in fitting, use, and pre-use inspection
• Equipment must be inspected at least every 6 months by a competent person (under LOLER and PUWER)
• A rescue plan must be in place -- suspension in a harness after a fall can cause fatal suspension trauma within 15-30 minutes

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Fragile Surfaces

Fragile surfaces (roof lights, fibre cement sheets, glass panels, corroded metal sheeting) account for a significant proportion of fall-from-height fatalities. The regulations require:

• Assume a surface is fragile unless there is evidence it can bear the required load
• Do not walk on or near fragile surfaces unless safe systems are in place
• Use crawling boards, staging, or walk boards that span between load-bearing structures
• Install permanent barriers or covers over fragile surfaces where possible
• Use safety nets or airbags below fragile surfaces as a collective fall-prevention measure
• Signage: prominently mark fragile surfaces with warning signs

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Inspection Requirements

The regulations require formal inspections of working at height equipment:

Inspection results for scaffolding must be recorded in a scaffold register. LOLER thorough examination reports must be kept on file.

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Training Requirements

Anyone involved in working at height must be competent for their role:

• Workers: trained in the safe use of the specific equipment they will use, hazard awareness, emergency procedures
• Supervisors: trained to plan, organise, and supervise work at height activities
• Scaffold erectors: CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) certification for complex scaffolds
• MEWP operators: IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) or equivalent
• Harness users: manufacturer-specific or general fall protection training
• Rescue teams: trained in rescue techniques, suspension trauma awareness, use of rescue equipment

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Penalties for Non-Compliance

The HSE enforces the Work at Height Regulations vigorously, particularly in construction:

• Improvement notices: requiring corrective action within a set period
• Prohibition notices: stopping work immediately where there is a risk of serious injury
• Prosecution: unlimited fines and up to 2 years' imprisonment
• Fee for Intervention (FFI): the HSE charges £163 per hour for the time spent dealing with material breaches

Following several high-profile fatalities, the Sentencing Council guidelines (in force since 2016) have led to significantly higher fines, with many six- and seven-figure penalties for fall-from-height offences.

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How Grove HR Supports Working at Height Compliance

• Training records -- track IPAF, CISRS, harness, and working at height training qualifications and expiry dates
• Compliance alerts -- automatic notifications when certifications are approaching renewal
• Onboarding checklists -- include working at height competency assessment for relevant roles
• Document storage -- store risk assessments, method statements, and equipment inspection records
• Absence monitoring -- track injuries and absences related to working at height incidents