Introduction to HSE (Health & Safety)
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Introduction, Scope, and Definitions
The Reality of Working at Height
Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. While many assume these accidents only happen in high-risk construction zones, common causes include falls from ladders and through fragile roofs in various industries. The purpose of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) is to prevent death and injury from a fall from height.
What is "Work at Height"?
It is vital to understand the legal definition, as it is broader than many people realize. "Work at height" means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
This definition is not limited to working on high scaffolding or roofs. You are considered to be working at height if you:
Are working on a ladder or a flat roof.
Could fall through a fragile surface (even if that surface is at ground level or just above it).
Could fall into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground.
Who Do the Regulations Apply To?
The regulations place legal duties on specific individuals and organizations. They apply to you if:
You are an employer.
You control work at height (for example, if you are a contractor or a factory owner).
Employers and those in control of any work at height activity must ensure the work is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people. This includes the responsibility of selecting and using the right type of equipment for the job.
Common Misconceptions: The "Ladder Ban" There is a common misconception in the industry that ladders and stepladders are banned under these regulations.
This is not the case.
There are many situations where a ladder is the most suitable equipment for working at height. However, the regulations do stipulate strictly when and how they should be used (primarily for low-risk, short-duration tasks), which will be covered in detail in Module 4.
Taking a Sensible Approach The law requires a sensible, pragmatic approach when considering precautions for work at height. Not every task requires complex equipment; there may be some low-risk situations where common sense tells you no particular precautions are necessary, and the law recognizes this.
When assessing the risk, you should weigh up factors including:
The height of the task.
The duration and frequency of the task.
The condition of the surface being worked on.
Module 2:
The Hierarchy of Control
The Step-by-Step ProcessBefore working at height, you must work through a specific hierarchy of measures. You cannot simply jump straight to using a ladder or a harness because it is convenient. The regulations require you to assess the risks and follow these steps in order.
Step 1: AVOID Work at Height
The most effective way to prevent injury is to eliminate the need to work at height entirely. You must ask: Can you avoid working at height in the first place?
You should do as much work as possible from the ground. Practical examples of avoidance include:
Using extendable tools from ground level to remove the need to climb a ladder.
Lowering a lighting mast to ground level for maintenance.
Assembling edge protection at ground level before lifting it into place.
Step 2: PREVENT Falls
If work at height cannot be avoided, you must take measures to prevent a fall from occurring. You can do this by:
Using an existing safe place of work: This is a place that is already safe, such as a non-fragile roof with a permanent perimeter guard rail, or a guarded mezzanine floor.
Using work equipment: If an existing safe place is not available, you must use work equipment to prevent people from falling. Examples include:
Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) such as scissor lifts.
Tower scaffolds.
Scaffolds.
Work restraint (travel restriction) systems that prevent a worker from reaching a position where they could fall.
Step 3: MINIMISE Consequences
If you cannot eliminate the risk of a fall entirely, you must use equipment or measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.
Collective Minimisation: Examples include safety nets and soft landing systems (e.g., air bags) installed close to the level of the work.
Personal Minimisation: Examples include industrial rope access (e.g., working on a building façade) or fall-arrest systems using a high anchor point.
Critical Concept: Collective vs. Personal Protection
When selecting equipment for steps 2 and 3, there is a vital rule you must follow: Always consider measures that protect everyone (collective protection) before measures that protect only the individual (personal protection).
Collective Protection: This is equipment that does not require the person working at height to act for it to be effective.
Example: A permanent or temporary guard rail. Once it is up, everyone is protected automatically.
Personal Protection: This is equipment that requires the individual to act for it to be effective.
Example: Putting on a safety harness correctly and connecting it via an energy-absorbing lanyard to a suitable anchor point. If the worker forgets to clip on, they are not protected.
Module 3:
Planning, Hazards, and Emergency Procedures
Planning the Work
Proper planning is a legal requirement for all work at height. Employers and those in control of the work must ensure that the activity is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people.
When planning, you must take a sensible, pragmatic approach, weighing up factors such as the height of the task, the duration and frequency, and the condition of the surface being worked on .
Specific planning requirements include:
Weather: You must take account of weather conditions that could compromise worker safety (e.g., high winds, ice, or rain).
Site Checks: You must check that the place where work is to be undertaken is safe. Crucially, each place where people will work at height needs to be checked every time, before use.
Hazard Focus: Fragile Surfaces Falls from roofs, specifically through fragile roofs and roof lights, are one of the most common causes of workplace death and serious injury. These accidents happen not only in construction but also on roofs of factories, warehouses, and farm buildings during repair or cleaning.
You must be able to identify materials that are likely to be fragile. These include:
Roof lights.
Liner panels on built-up sheeted roofs.
Non-reinforced fibre cement sheets.
Corroded metal sheets.
Glass (including wired glass).
Rotted chipboard.
Slates and tiles.
Hazard Focus: Falling Objects You must stop materials or objects from falling. If it is not reasonably practicable to prevent falling objects entirely, you must take suitable measures to ensure no one can be injured.
Practical control measures include:
Using exclusion zones to keep people away from the area below the work.
Using mesh on scaffolding to stop materials such as bricks from falling off.
Storing materials and objects safely so they will not cause injury if they are disturbed or collapse.
Emergency and Rescue Procedures A critical and often overlooked part of the regulations is the requirement to plan for emergencies and rescue.
Self-Sufficiency: You must agree on a set procedure for evacuation.
Do Not Rely on 999: You generally cannot rely entirely on the emergency services for rescue in your plan. You must have the ability to rescue a suspended or stranded worker quickly, as delays can lead to serious health complications (such as suspension trauma).
Employee Awareness: You must think about foreseeable situations and make sure employees know the emergency procedures.
Module 3:
Planning, Hazards, and Emergency Procedures
Planning the Work
Proper planning is a legal requirement for all work at height. Employers and those in control of the work must ensure that the activity is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people.
When planning, you must take a sensible, pragmatic approach, weighing up factors such as the height of the task, the duration and frequency, and the condition of the surface being worked on .
Specific planning requirements include:
Weather: You must take account of weather conditions that could compromise worker safety (e.g., high winds, ice, or rain).
Site Checks: You must check that the place where work is to be undertaken is safe. Crucially, each place where people will work at height needs to be checked every time, before use.
Hazard Focus: Fragile Surfaces Falls from roofs, specifically through fragile roofs and roof lights, are one of the most common causes of workplace death and serious injury. These accidents happen not only in construction but also on roofs of factories, warehouses, and farm buildings during repair or cleaning.
You must be able to identify materials that are likely to be fragile. These include:
Roof lights.
Liner panels on built-up sheeted roofs.
Non-reinforced fibre cement sheets.
Corroded metal sheets.
Glass (including wired glass).
Rotted chipboard.
Slates and tiles.
Hazard Focus: Falling Objects You must stop materials or objects from falling. If it is not reasonably practicable to prevent falling objects entirely, you must take suitable measures to ensure no one can be injured.
Practical control measures include:
Using exclusion zones to keep people away from the area below the work.
Using mesh on scaffolding to stop materials such as bricks from falling off.
Storing materials and objects safely so they will not cause injury if they are disturbed or collapse.
Emergency and Rescue Procedures A critical and often overlooked part of the regulations is the requirement to plan for emergencies and rescue.
Self-Sufficiency: You must agree on a set procedure for evacuation.
Do Not Rely on 999: You generally cannot rely entirely on the emergency services for rescue in your plan. You must have the ability to rescue a suspended or stranded worker quickly, as delays can lead to serious health complications (such as suspension trauma).
Employee Awareness: You must think about foreseeable situations and make sure employees know the emergency procedures.
Module 4:
Equipment Selection and Ladder Rules
Selecting the Right Equipment
When selecting equipment for work at height, employers have a specific duty to provide the most suitable equipment appropriate for the work. You cannot simply use what is closest to hand.
You must take account of specific factors, including:
Working Conditions: For example, weather conditions or space constraints.
Task Details: The nature, frequency, and duration of the work.
Safety of Others: The risks to the safety of everyone where the work equipment will be used (not just the user).
If you are unsure which type of equipment to use, the HSE recommends using the "Work at height Access equipment Information Toolkit" (WAIT), whch offers possible solutions based on the risks.
Rules for Using Ladders and Stepladders
Ladders are not banned, but their use is restricted. They should only be used as a last resort when the risk assessment determines that using safer equipment (like a tower scaffold) is not justified because of the low risk and short duration of the task .
The "Short Duration" Rule
A key definition in the guidance is "short duration." This generally means tasks that take less than 30 minutes. If the task takes longer, you should consider alternative equipment.
Safe Ladder Use Requirements
If your risk assessment determines it is correct to use a ladder, you must further minimise the risk by ensuring:
Right Equipment: Workers are using the right type of ladder for the job (e.g., correct grade and height).
Competence: Workers are competent to use the ladder. For low-risk, short-duration tasks, this means they have received instruction on how to use the equipment safely (e.g., how to tie a ladder properly).
Safe System: Workers follow a safe system of work.
Awareness: Workers are fully aware of the risks and measures to help control them.
Explore
Key Ladder Safety Checks
Ensure the ladder is stable and strong enough for the job.
Ensure the ladder is maintained and checked regularly.
Make sure you do not overload or overreach when working at height.
Module 5:
Inspections, Maintenance, and Records
Ensuring Equipment Safety
Simply buying the right equipment is not enough; you must ensure it remains safe to use. Work equipment, such as scaffolding, needs to be assembled or installed according to the manufacturer's instructions and in keeping with industry guidelines.
Where the safety of the work equipment depends on how it has been installed or assembled, an employer must ensure it is not used until it has been inspected in that position by a competent person.
Who is a "Competent Person"?
For the purposes of inspection, a competent person is someone who has the necessary skills, experience, and knowledge to manage health and safety.
When Must Equipment Be Inspected?
Any equipment exposed to conditions that may cause it to deteriorate and result in a dangerous situation should be inspected at suitable intervals appropriate to the environment and use.
You must perform an inspection:
After Assembly: After the equipment is assembled or installed.
After Adverse Events: Every time something happens that may affect the safety or stability of the equipment, such as adverse weather or accidental damage.
At Suitable Intervals: To detect deterioration.
The "7-Day Rule" for Construction
There is a specific, stricter rule for construction work. Any working platform used for construction work from which a person could fall more than 2 metres must be inspected:
After assembly in any position.
After any event liable to have affected its stability.
At intervals not exceeding seven days.
Note: If you are using a mobile platform (like a MEWP), a new inspection and report is not required every time it is moved to a new location on the same site.
Record Keeping and Borrowed Equipment
You are required to keep a record of any inspection for types of work equipment including guard rails, toe-boards, barriers, working platforms (fixed or mobile), and ladders .
If you hire or borrow equipment, you must ensure that before you use any equipment which has come from another business or rental company, it is accompanied by an indication (clear to everyone involved) when the last thorough examination has been carried out.