You must ensure that the place where work is done at height (including the means of access) is safe and has features to prevent a fall, as detailed below:
Every existing place of work or means of access or egress at height shall:
- be stable and of sufficient strength and rigidity for the purpose for which it is intended to be or is being used;
- where applicable, rest on a stable, sufficiently strong surface;
- be of sufficient dimensions to permit the safe passage of persons and the safe use of any plant or materials required to be used and to provide a safe working area having regard to the work to be carried out there;
- possess suitable and sufficient means for preventing a fall;
- possess a surface which has no gap:
- through which a person could fall;
- through which any material or object could fall and injure a person; or
- giving rise to other risk of injury to any person, unless measures have been taken to protect persons against such risk;
- be so constructed and used, and maintained in such condition, as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable the risk of slipping or tripping; or any person being caught between it and any adjacent structure;
- where it has moving parts, be prevented by appropriate devices from moving inadvertently during work at height.
Equipment, temporary structures and safety features
If it is not reasonably practicable to meet these requirements, i.e. the worker cannot carry out the work safely (taking into account the demands of the task, equipment and working environment), you must provide equipment for preventing (as far as is reasonably practicable) a fall occurring.
If these precautions do not entirely eliminate the risk of a fall occurring, you must do all that is reasonably practicable to minimise the distance and effect of a fall.
When selecting equipment for work at height you must:
- use the most suitable equipment;
- give collective protection measures (e.g. guard rails) priority over personal protection measures (e.g. safety harnesses); and
- take account of the working conditions and risks to the safety of all those at the place where the work equipment is to be used.
You must ensure that all equipment, temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding) and safety features comply with the detailed requirements of schedules 2 to 6 of the regulations, which are summarised in the HSE leaflet Height Safe.