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Avoid it. Prevent it. Minimise it.
Falls from height remain the single leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain. This guide explains what the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require, who they apply to, and the hierarchy every duty holder is expected to work through.
Ladders are not banned
Duties extend beyond employers
In force since 6 April 2005
What counts as working at height
Work at height means work in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. That includes working above ground level, but also access to and from a place of work, and working at or below ground level — a person can fall into an excavation or an opening just as easily as off a roof.
There is no minimum height written into the Regulations. The common belief that work at height starts at two metres is a myth, and a persistent one — the test is whether a fall could cause injury, not how far the fall would be. People are seriously injured falling from low platforms, kerbs and the back of vehicles every year.
The hierarchy: avoid, prevent, minimise
Duty holders are expected to work through these in order. Moving down a step means being able to justify why the one above was not reasonably practicable.
Step 1 · Avoid
Do the work from the ground
Extendable tools, ground-level assembly, remote inspection by camera or drone, prefabricating at ground level and lifting into place. The safest work at height is the work that never happens, and this step is skipped far more often than it should be.
Step 2 · Prevent
Stop the fall happening
Guardrails, working platforms, scaffolds, towers and MEWPs — collective measures that protect everyone present without relying on individual behaviour. Where collective measures are not reasonably practicable, work restraint systems come next.
Step 3 · Minimise
Reduce distance and consequences
Nets, airbags and fall arrest systems. These do not stop the fall — they limit how far a person falls and how hard they land. A last resort, and one that brings its own requirements around rescue planning and suspension trauma.
What duty holders must ensure
Planning and competence
All work at height is properly planned and organised, and everyone involved is competent. Planning includes what happens if the weather changes, and how someone is rescued if a fall occurs — HSE is explicit that rescue arrangements must not rely on the fire brigade, since the delay could be critical.
Assessment and equipment
The risks are assessed and appropriate work equipment is selected and used. The risk assessment drives the equipment choice, not the other way round — and not what happens to be on the van.
Surfaces and inspection
Risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled, and equipment for working at height is inspected and maintained. Inspection is a recurring duty, not a one-off check at the point of purchase.
Employer and employee duties
Keeping people safe at height is a shared responsibility. The employer carries the primary legal duty, but employees have obligations of their own under the Regulations — and a right to decline work that would breach them.
Employers must
- Ensure anyone working at height is competent — properly trained, or supervised by someone who is
- Avoid work at height where the job can reasonably be done another way
- Provide and maintain the right equipment — platforms, guardrails, nets, airbags, personal fall protection
- Avoid work from fragile surfaces unless it is unavoidable, with full protection where it is
- Plan for emergencies, including evacuation and rescue
- Inspect work surfaces and fall protection equipment before work begins
- Ensure ladders are secured, and treated as a means of access rather than a working platform
Employees must
- Not carry out work at height unless competent, or supervised by a competent person while training
- Follow the safe procedures they have been given, and use the equipment provided as intended
- Keep three points of contact on a ladder, or use an alternative system where that is not possible
- Tell their employer if they have not been trained for a task, rather than attempting it
- Report anything that looks unsafe — defective equipment, a fragile surface, an unguarded edge
- Be fit to work. Fatigue, alcohol and some medications affect balance, and balance is the whole job
You can refuse genuinely unsafe work. An employer cannot require someone to carry out work that breaches health and safety law and puts them in danger. Raise it internally first — most of the time the problem is a missing piece of equipment rather than a decision — but the option of reporting it to the HSE exists and is protected.
Two myths worth retiring. Ladders are not banned. HSE has said so repeatedly, and the Regulations do not prohibit any particular equipment — a ladder can be entirely appropriate for short-duration, low-risk work where a more substantial platform would be disproportionate. What the Regulations require is that the choice is justified.
And there is no two-metre threshold for whether the Regulations apply. Any fall liable to cause injury is in scope, which is why a fall from a low loading bay is treated as seriously as one from a roof edge.
The myth probably comes from somewhere real, though. A height is specified once in the Regulations — a scaffold used as a working platform more than two metres above the ground must be inspected before first use, after anything liable to affect its stability, and at least every seven days. That is an inspection trigger for one type of equipment, not a threshold for the Regulations themselves.
Fragile surfaces
Falls through fragile roofs and rooflights account for a steady share of fatalities, and the pattern repeats: the surface looked solid, nobody had identified it, and the work was brief. Assume any roof is fragile until proven otherwise. Where work must proceed, control the risk with platforms, coverings or guardrails, supported by signage — but signage alone is not a control measure. Rooflights are the specific trap, since they are frequently painted over, dirty or hidden beneath sheeting.
The Regulations
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 came into force on 6 April 2005. They apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury, and place duties on employers, the self-employed, and anyone who controls the work of others — including facilities managers and building owners who contract others to work at height. The schedules set requirements for existing places of work and means of access, collective fall prevention such as guardrails and working platforms, collective fall arrest such as nets and airbags, personal fall protection including work restraint, fall arrest and rope access, and ladders.
The Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007 came into force on 6 April 2007 and extend the Regulations to those providing instruction or leadership to people engaged in caving or climbing by way of sport, recreation, team building or similar activities.
Access equipment is also work equipment, so PUWER applies alongside these Regulations, and where a MEWP or hoist lifts a person, LOLER applies as well. On construction projects, CDM 2015 requires the risk to be designed out at the pre-construction stage wherever possible.
Where does training fit? Competence is a legal requirement, not an optional extra — the Regulations state plainly that those involved in work at height must be competent. For most organisations that means equipment-specific training on whatever access equipment is actually in use. We list working at height training courses from accredited providers across the UK, covering every scheme below.
Access equipment and the schemes that cover it
Four types of access equipment, four separate training schemes. Competence on one does not transfer to the others.
Fixed tube-and-fitting or system structures, subject to statutory inspection at intervals not exceeding seven days while in use.
Aluminium towers assembled by hand and moved on castors. PASMA is the recognised scheme, issuing a card valid five years.
Scissor lifts, cherry pickers and boom lifts. IPAF issues the PAL Card, and it does not cover tower assembly.
Legitimate for short-duration low-risk tasks — HSE puts “short duration” at work measured in minutes rather than hours. Their own user and inspection training runs through the Ladder Association.
Working at height — frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum height for working at height?
No. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 set no minimum. The test is whether a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury, which depends on the surface below and the circumstances as much as the height. The widely repeated two-metre rule has no basis in the Regulations.
At what height is a harness required?
There is no fixed height that triggers a harness, in the same way there is no minimum height for the Regulations themselves. Personal fall protection is required where the risk assessment shows someone could fall and be injured and the higher steps of the hierarchy are not reasonably practicable. Reaching for a harness first, rather than asking whether a guardrail or platform would do, is the more common mistake.
Are ladders banned?
No, and HSE has said so consistently. The Regulations do not prohibit any equipment — they require that the selection is justified by the risk assessment. A ladder is often the proportionate choice for short-duration, low-risk work. What is not acceptable is using one because it was convenient rather than because it was appropriate.
Who is a duty holder?
Employers, the self-employed, and anyone who controls the work of others at height. That last category catches more people than expected — facilities managers, building owners and principal contractors who engage others to work at height hold duties even though they do not employ the people doing it.
Can I refuse to work at height if I think it is unsafe?
Yes. An employer cannot require you to carry out work that breaches health and safety law and places you in danger. Raise the concern with your employer or supervisor first, since most issues come down to equipment or planning rather than intent. If it is not resolved, concerns can be reported to the HSE.
Does work at height include working below ground level?
Yes. Anywhere a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury is in scope, including falls into excavations, shafts and openings. Access to and from the place of work counts too, which is why unguarded openings and temporary access routes feature so often in investigations.
What makes someone competent to work at height?
Training, knowledge and experience appropriate to the equipment and the task. The Regulations do not name a qualification, but in practice the equipment-specific card schemes are what employers and principal contractors accept as evidence. See working at height training for the courses available.
Do we need a rescue plan?
Yes. The law requires you to plan for emergencies and rescue as part of planning the work itself. HSE is clear that those arrangements should not rely on the fire brigade, because the resulting delay may be critical — someone suspended in a harness after a fall has a limited window before suspension trauma becomes life-threatening. Rescue kits are available and suppliers provide training in their use, so the capability can be held in house.
What counts as a fragile surface?
Any surface that would not safely bear the weight of a person and their load — asbestos cement sheets, corroded metal sheeting, glass, chipboard and rooflights among them. Rooflights are the recurring problem because they are so often dirty, painted over or concealed. Treat any roof as fragile until an inspection proves otherwise.
Related guidance
PUWER
LOLER
CDM Regulations
PPE guidance
Rope access
Mobile tower access
Business risk review
All guidance topics
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