CDM/Specific/TBT-CDM-015

Work at Height Regulations 2005 Awareness

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The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work where a person could fall and be injured.
Falls from height remain the single largest cause of workplace death in the UK construction industry.
The regulations require a hierarchy of control: avoid, prevent, and mitigate falls in that order.
Work at height means any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
There is no minimum height threshold — the regulations apply even at ground level near an edge.
Employers must ensure work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent persons.
Equipment for work at height must be inspected and maintained in a safe condition.
Fragile surfaces must be identified and suitable measures taken to prevent falls through them.
All work at height must consider weather conditions that could endanger the safety of workers.
Regulation 4 requires that work at height is not carried out unless it cannot be avoided.

Leading killer	Falls from height kill more construction workers than any other single cause in the UK every year.
Legal framework	The 2005 Regulations create specific duties on employers that go beyond general health and safety law.
Hierarchy principle	The avoid-prevent-mitigate hierarchy ensures the most effective controls are always considered first.

Don't

Avoid work at height wherever possible by designing the task to be done from ground level
Use collective fall prevention measures such as guardrails and platforms as the first choice
Select equipment appropriate for the task duration, height, and conditions
Ensure all workers at height are competent and trained for the specific equipment used
Plan every work-at-height activity including rescue arrangements before work begins
Inspect all work-at-height equipment before use and at the specified intervals
Identify and protect all fragile surfaces before workers access them
Consider weather conditions and stop work when wind, rain, or ice makes it unsafe
Supervise work at height to ensure the planned controls are being followed
Report any defects in work-at-height equipment or missing fall protection immediately

DON'T carry out work at height if the task can be done safely from ground level
DON'T use ladders where a safer alternative such as a platform or MEWP is available
DON'T work at height without a plan that includes rescue arrangements
DON'T allow untrained workers to use fall arrest, scaffolds, or MEWPs
DON'T use equipment that has not been inspected and confirmed as safe
DON'T access fragile surfaces without physical protection measures in place
DON'T continue working at height when weather conditions make it unsafe
DON'T rely on personal fall protection where collective measures are practicable
DON'T assume low heights are safe — many fatal falls occur below two metres
DON'T treat the regulations as guidance — they are mandatory legal requirements

See also: Falls From Height Awareness | Working at Height Hierarchy of Control

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