Common questions builders ask about working at height.
What counts as working at height?
Working at height means any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. That is the legal definition from the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and it is deliberately broad. It does not just mean working on scaffolding or a roof. It includes standing on a stepladder, working on a flat roof with no edge protection, reaching up from the ground to work above shoulder height, working near an unprotected opening or fragile surface, and even working at ground level next to an excavation. There is no minimum height — if you could fall and hurt yourself, it counts. This catches people out regularly. A joiner standing on a kitchen worktop to fit wall units is working at height. A plumber standing on an upturned bucket to reach pipework is working at height. A roofer walking across a flat roof with no edge protection is working at height. The regulations apply regardless of how long the task takes. Even a two-minute job on a stepladder requires you to have assessed the risks and put appropriate controls in place. The key test is not the height itself but whether a fall could cause injury. On a construction site, that covers a surprisingly large proportion of daily tasks.
Do I need a risk assessment for working on a ladder?
Yes, always. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require a risk assessment for all work at height, including work on ladders. There is no exemption for short-duration tasks or low heights. Your risk assessment needs to consider whether the work can be done without working at height at all, whether a safer method of access could be used instead of a ladder, whether the ladder is the right type for the task, the condition and placement of the ladder, the duration of the task, the physical demands of the work, and the environment — weather, ground conditions, and nearby hazards. For many routine tasks, a brief written assessment covering these points is sufficient. You do not need a 20-page document for every ladder use, but you do need evidence that you have thought about the risks and decided that a ladder is appropriate. If the HSE inspects your site and finds someone on a ladder with no risk assessment, that is a breach of the regulations. The assessment should also confirm that the person using the ladder is competent to do so — they understand three points of contact, they know how to position the ladder correctly, and they know the limits of what can safely be done from a ladder.
When should I use scaffolding instead of a ladder?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 say that ladders should only be used for work at height when a risk assessment has shown that the use of more suitable work equipment is not justified because of the low risk and short duration of the task, or because of existing features of the site that cannot be altered. In practical terms, you should use scaffolding instead of a ladder when the task will take more than about 30 minutes, when you need both hands free to do the work, when you need to carry materials or tools that would make ladder use unsafe, when the working height is above about 5 metres, when you need a stable working platform to work safely — for example, when rendering, pointing, or installing fascias — or when multiple people need access to the same area at the same time. Scaffolding provides a stable, level working platform with edge protection, which is inherently safer than a ladder. It also reduces fatigue, because standing on a platform is far less tiring than balancing on a ladder rung. For most construction work that involves more than a quick inspection or a minor repair, scaffolding or a tower scaffold is the right choice. The cost of hiring scaffolding is almost always less than the cost of a fall-from-height injury, an HSE enforcement notice, or the reputational damage from an incident on your site.
What training do I need for working at height?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that anyone who works at height, or who plans, supervises, or manages work at height, must be competent to do so. Competence means having the right combination of training, experience, and knowledge for the specific tasks involved. There is no single mandatory qualification that covers all work at height. The training you need depends on the equipment you are using and the work you are doing. For ladders and stepladders, basic ladder safety training is sufficient — this can be delivered in-house if you have someone competent to deliver it. For mobile tower scaffolds, you need PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers and Manufacturers Association) training. For Mobile Elevating Work Platforms like cherry pickers and scissor lifts, you need IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) certification. For tube and fitting scaffolding, scaffolders need CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) training. For harness and fall-arrest systems, you need specific training on how to inspect, fit, and use the equipment, including rescue procedures. Beyond equipment-specific training, anyone working at height should understand the hierarchy of controls, how to carry out a risk assessment for work at height, how to inspect edge protection and access equipment before use, and emergency rescue procedures in case someone does fall. Refresher training is also important — the regulations do not specify intervals, but most industry bodies recommend refresher training every three to five years.
What are my duties as an employer for work at height?
As an employer, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 place specific duties on you. First, you must avoid work at height wherever it is reasonably practicable to do so. If a task can be done from the ground, it should be done from the ground. Second, where work at height cannot be avoided, you must use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls. This means providing the right access equipment — scaffolding, MEWPs, tower scaffolds — with appropriate edge protection. Third, where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, you must minimise the distance and consequences of any fall. This means using safety nets, airbags, or personal fall-arrest systems. You must ensure that all work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a manner that is as safe as is reasonably practicable. The planning must include emergency and rescue procedures — you cannot just put someone in a harness without a plan for how you would rescue them if they fell and ended up suspended. You must also ensure that the equipment used for work at height is suitable for the task, properly maintained, and inspected at appropriate intervals. Scaffolding must be inspected before first use, after any event that could affect its stability, and at least every seven days. Records of these inspections must be kept. You must provide information, instruction, and training to everyone who works at height or who supervises work at height. You must also take account of weather conditions — strong winds, rain, ice, or poor visibility can make work at height significantly more dangerous. Finally, you must ensure that the place where work at height is carried out is safe — fragile surfaces must be identified and either avoided or properly protected.