WAH/General/TBT-WAH-001

Falls From Height Awareness

Working at Height › General › Falls From Height Awareness

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Falls from height remain the single largest cause of fatal injuries in UK construction.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work where a person could fall and be injured.
There is no minimum height threshold — a fall from any level can cause serious harm.
Common fall locations include roofs, scaffolds, ladders, open edges, and floor openings.
HSE statistics show around 40 construction workers die each year from falls in the UK.
Many fall incidents involve workers who were experienced but took shortcuts or ignored controls.
Employers must follow the hierarchy: avoid work at height, prevent falls, then minimise consequences.
A fall from as little as two metres can result in life-changing spinal or head injuries.
Fragile surfaces such as roof lights, fibre cement sheets, and liner panels are a hidden killer.
Every person working at height must be competent, properly equipped, and supervised.

Prevent fatalities	Falls from height kill more construction workers than any other single cause — every incident is preventable with the right controls.
Legal duty	The Work at Height Regulations 2005 place strict duties on employers and workers; breaches can lead to prosecution and unlimited fines.
Life-changing injuries	Survivors of falls often suffer permanent spinal damage, brain injuries, or fractures that end careers and change families forever.
Moral responsibility	Everyone deserves to go home safe at the end of every shift — no task is worth risking a life.

Don't

Check the risk assessment and method statement before starting any work at height.
Use collective protection such as guardrails and edge protection wherever possible.
Inspect all access equipment before every use and report defects immediately.
Ensure scaffold tags are current and platforms are fully boarded with toe boards.
Wear a harness and lanyard when required and clip on before reaching the edge.
Keep work platforms clear of materials, tools, and trip hazards at all times.
Cover or guard all floor openings and voids with fixed, marked protection.
Report any missing or damaged edge protection to your supervisor straight away.
Stop work if conditions change, such as high winds, rain, or poor lighting.
Attend all required training and never work at height beyond your competence.

DON'T work at height without reading and understanding the risk assessment first.
DON'T remove or alter guardrails, edge protection, or void covers for any reason.
DON'T use damaged ladders, scaffolds, or platforms — take them out of service.
DON'T access scaffolds that have a do-not-use tag or are incomplete.
DON'T work without a harness where one is specified in the method statement.
DON'T throw tools or materials from height — use controlled lowering methods.
DON'T stand on fragile surfaces such as roof lights, liner panels, or asbestos sheets.
DON'T assume someone else has reported a hazard — report it yourself every time.
DON'T continue working in high winds or storms without supervisor authorisation.
DON'T take shortcuts — a few minutes saved is not worth a life-changing fall.

See also: Working at Height Hierarchy of Control | Edge Protection Requirements

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