A24: Work At Height Regulations 2005

Abbreviations used:

MHSW – Management Of Health And Safety At Work Regulations 1999
RP – Reasonably practicable
SFARP – So far as is reasonably practicable

Organising and planning (r4)

Work at height to be planned (including the selection of equipment r7), supervised and SFARP safe and have regard to weather conditions.

Competence (r5)

Person to be competent for every activity in relation to work at height: organising, planning, supervision etc. (or if being trained, supervised by a competent person).

Avoidance of risks (r6)

Take account of risk assessment (r3 MHSW) and follow hierarchy of control i.e. do not carry out work at height (where RP not to); take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent SFARP person falling a distance liable to cause injury (Sch1); where these measures do not eliminate the risk of a fall occurring provide equipment to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.

Selection of equipment (r7)

Give priority to collective protection measures over personal protection measures, taking account of:

working conditions;
access and egress;
distance and consequences of a fall;
duration and frequency of use;
emergencies;
additional risks posed by equipment or by evacuation or rescue;
nature of the work;
passage without risk and loadings.

Requirements for particular work equipment (r8)

Ensure that:

Collective means of protection (e.g. guard-rails) comply with Schedule 2;
Working platforms comply with Schedule 3;
Collective fall arrest comply with Schedule 4;
Personal fall arrest comply with Schedule 5; and
Ladders comply with Schedule 6.

Fragile surfaces (r9)

Avoid where reasonably practicable, if not, provide suitable platforms, coverings, guard rails, fall protection, warning signs etc.

Falling objects (r10)

SFARP prevent fall of any material or object or prevent any person being struck, or material or object thrown where liable to cause injury and store to prevent risk.

Danger areas (r11)

Provide devices to prevent unauthorised access, clearly mark the area.

Inspection of work equipment (r12)

Applies to r8 and schedules 2-6. Ensure inspection prior to use following installation or assembly, and where exposure to deterioration inspect at suitable intervals. Also applies to working platforms and the keeping of records, and refers to lifting equipment and exemption where similar requirement under Lifting Operations And Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)

A person carrying out an inspection of work equipment shall prepare a report under Schedule 7 and within 24 hours of completing the inspection provide the report to the person for whom the inspection was carried out. (Inspection means visual or more rigorous inspection by competent person for safety purposes and includes testing where appropriate for those purposes.)

Inspection of places of work at height (r13)

SFARP check every surface, parapet, permanent rail or other fall protection measure, of every place of work at height before use.

Duties of person at work (r14)

Duty of every person to report any dangerous or likely to be dangerous activity or defect to the person in control.

Duty of every person to use work equipment or safety device according to training and instructions.

Requirements for existing places of work and means of access or egress at height (Sch1)

Every existing place of work or means of access or egress at height shall be stable, of suitable strength, rigidity, sufficient size, surfaces without gaps through which persons or objects could fall, be so constructed used and maintained to prevent slips, trips or falls.

Requirements for guard-rails, toe-boards, barriers and similar collective means of protection (Sch2)

To be of suitable strength, specific dimensions, placed and secured to prevent falls.

Requirements for working platforms (Sch3)

Condition of surfaces, stability of supporting structure, and platform strength and rigidity and safety, be so constructed used and maintained, without gaps through which persons or objects could fall, to prevent slips, trips or falls. And loading and additional requirements for scaffolding, including strength and stability calculations, and depending on complexity, assembly and dismantling plan.

Requirements for collective safeguards for arresting falls (Sch4)

A collective safeguard shall only be used if a risk assessment has demonstrated that the activity can SFARP be performed safely while using it, and that the use of other safer equipment is not RP and sufficient persons have received adequate training on the safeguard including rescue procedures.

It shall also be of suitable strength, securely attached, stable as necessary for the type of safeguard, and in the event of a fall the safeguard does not cause injury to the person.

Requirements for personal fall protection systems (sch5)

Only to be used if a risk assessment has shown that work can SFARP be performed safely with the personal fall protection system and other safer equipment is not RP.

Additional requirements for work positioning systems (Pt2);
Additional requirements for rope access and positioning techniques (Pt3);
Additional requirements for fall arrest systems (Pt4);
Additional requirements for work restraint systems (Pt5) : risk assessment for safest fall protection system; suitable strength, fit, minimise injury etc.

Requirements for ladders (Sch6)

Only to be used where risk assessment has shown that other more suitable equipment is not justified because of low risk. Stable firm surface, positioned to ensure stability during use, attached securely, prevented from slipping, handhold. Safe landing where ladder rises vertical distance of nine metres or more.