The Work at Height Regulations 2005
Overview
Prior to the Work at Height Regulation 2005, falls from height accounted for 67* fatal accidents at work and nearly 4000* major injuries. They remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury. These Regulations were desined to help prevent the deaths and injuries caused each year by falls at work.
What is the definition of to "work at height"?
A place is ‘at height’ if a person could be injured falling from it, even if it is at or below ground level.
As an employer you are required to do all that is reasonably practicable, to prevent anyone falling.
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 require duty holders ensure:
- All work at height is properly planned and organised;
- All work at height takes account of weather conditions that could endanger health and safety;
- Those involved in work at height are trained and competent;
- The working at height environment is safe;
- Equipment for work at height is adequately inspected;
- The risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled; and
- The risks from falling objects are properly controlled.
Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007 
This working at height act came into force on 6 April 2007, created to 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 in Great Britain.
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.
In 2011/12
- Falls from height were the most common cause of fatalities, accounting for almost a quarter of fatal injuries to workers (23%) (RIDDOR)
- Slips and trips were the most common cause of major injuries to employees, with falls from height the next most common. (RIDDOR)
- STFs were responsible for more than half of all major (53%) and almost a third of over-3-day (29%) injuries to employees, making up 34% of all reported injuries to employees. (RIDDOR)
The Health and Safety Executive have produced a brief guide to ‘The Work at Height Regulations 2005’ please follow this link http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg40
*2003 - 2004
