Working at Height Risk Assessment (UK)

Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths in Britain. A working at height risk assessment is how you plan the job so that nobody becomes one of those figures, and it is a legal requirement before any work off the ground begins.

What the law says

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause injury, at any height, not just above two metres. The duty holder must ensure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people. The regulations set out a clear order of priority you must follow.

The hierarchy of control

1. Avoid work at height where you reasonably can, for example by assembling at ground level or using extendable tools.
2. Prevent falls where work at height cannot be avoided, using an existing safe place of work or the right equipment such as a tower scaffold or a MEWP with guard rails.
3. Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall where the risk remains, using nets, airbags or a harness and fall arrest as a last resort.

Equipment and the common jobs

Ladders and stepladders are allowed for low risk, short duration work, but they are a means of access, not a working platform for anything demanding. Tower scaffolds must be erected by a trained person and inspected. Mobile elevating work platforms need trained operators and firm, level ground. Roof work brings the extra hazard of fragile surfaces, covered in our roofing risk assessment guide.

What to put in the assessment

Name the task and where it is, the fall hazards, who is at risk including people below, and the controls: the access equipment chosen and why, edge protection, exclusion zones, tool restraint, weather limits, rescue arrangements, and the competence of those doing the work. Fragile surfaces, overhead services and the public passing below are the details inspectors look for.

Record it

Our risk assessment template gives you a format to capture all of this clearly. If you want the method first, read our guide to writing a risk assessment.