High risk work activities account for a disproportionate share of UK workplace fatalities and serious injuries each year. Falls from height, confined space incidents, and accidents involving hazardous substances and energised systems are among the most dangerous situations workers face. Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure that anyone undertaking high risk work activities is appropriately trained, competent, and supported by safe systems of work. This training hub covers the key high risk work areas: working at height, confined spaces, explosive atmospheres, scaffolding, temporary works, harness and lanyard safety, lone workers, rope access, and EUSR utility safety passports. Classroom, online and on-site delivery options are available for individuals and organisations of all sizes.
Training areas
Work at Height Regulations 2005
Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to ensure all work at height is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people using appropriate equipment. Training covers risk assessment, equipment selection, fall prevention and emergency procedures.
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
Confined space incidents have an exceptionally high fatality rate — many deaths occur when untrained bystanders attempt rescues. The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 require employers to avoid confined space entry where possible, and where entry is unavoidable, to follow a safe system of work using competent, trained personnel. Training covers atmospheric testing, emergency procedures, breathing apparatus and rescue techniques.
Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002
Where a process generates combustible dust or handles flammable substances, DSEAR applies alongside general fire safety law. Duty holders must carry out a separate risk assessment under Regulation 5, classify hazardous places into zones and select equipment to match. A small primary event can disturb settled dust and trigger a far larger secondary explosion, which is why housekeeping and zoning are treated as controls rather than good practice. Relevant to timber, food and feed, milling, metal fabrication and waste processing.
Work at Height Regulations 2005 / Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015
Scaffolding must be erected, altered and dismantled by competent personnel, and inspected before use and after any event that may have affected its stability. Scaffold inspection training is essential for site supervisors and managers responsible for authorising scaffold use. Courses range from one-day awareness through to detailed three-day scaffold inspection qualifications.
BS 5975 / Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015
Excavation support, falsework, formwork, propping and façade retention hold loads that the permanent structure is not yet carrying, and collapses tend to be sudden and to affect everyone nearby. CDM 2015 applies to temporary works exactly as it does to the permanent structure; BS 5975 supplies the procedural framework — register, design brief, design check categories and the appointment of a coordinator. Most principal contractors require that appointment contractually.
Work at Height Regulations 2005 / PUWER 1998
Personal fall protection equipment — harnesses, lanyards, inertia reels and anchor points — must be inspected before every use and formally examined at regular intervals. Incorrectly fitted or poorly maintained harnesses provide little or no protection. Training covers selection, fitting, pre-use checks, formal inspection and record-keeping requirements under PUWER.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 / Management of H&S at Work Regulations 1999
Over 6 million people in the UK work alone at some point during their working day. Employers must assess the specific risks faced by lone workers and put in place appropriate control measures including communication procedures, check-in systems and emergency protocols. Lone workers in high risk environments such as utilities, healthcare and construction face particular challenges requiring specific training.
Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR)
EUSR Safety Passports are required for anyone working in the water, power, gas and drainage utility sectors. The scheme ensures workers meet industry-specific safety competency standards before being permitted on site. Cards cover SHEA Water, SHEA Power, SHEA Gas, SHEA Drains & Sewers and National Water Hygiene qualifications.
Work at Height Regulations 2005 / IRATA standards
Rope access is used across construction, telecommunications, wind energy, inspection and maintenance industries where conventional access equipment is impractical. Training must meet IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) standards and covers rope rigging, descent, ascent, rescue techniques and equipment inspection. Rope access operatives must hold a current IRATA card at the appropriate level for their role.
CCNSG / Engineering Construction Industry
The CCNSG Safety Passport is mandatory for anyone working on engineering construction sites in the UK, including oil, gas, petrochemical, power generation, pharmaceutical and process plant sectors. It demonstrates a baseline level of health and safety awareness for site access and must be renewed every three years.
Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
Employers working in high risk environments must carry out a first aid needs assessment and ensure adequate first aid provision. For construction sites, utilities and industrial environments this typically requires trained First Aiders at Work (FAW) rather than just Emergency First Aiders. Rapid, competent first aid response is critical in high risk environments where serious injuries can deteriorate quickly.
Who should attend
Why high risk work training matters
Statutory legal duties
The Work at Height Regulations, Confined Spaces Regulations, DSEAR and the Health and Safety at Work Act all impose explicit training and competency requirements. Non-compliance carries unlimited fines and the risk of manslaughter charges where fatalities occur.
Prevent fatalities
Falls from height are the largest single cause of UK workplace fatalities each year. In confined space incidents, a substantial proportion of those killed are would-be rescuers who entered without training or equipment. Training is the primary defence.
Meet site access requirements
CCNSG Safety Passports and EUSR cards are mandatory for site access in engineering construction and utility sectors. Training ensures your workforce can meet contractor and principal contractor access requirements.
Demonstrate due diligence
Following a serious incident, documented training and competency records are a key element of any legal defence. Courts expect employers to demonstrate that risks were identified and that workers were trained to manage them.
Protect lone workers
Lone workers in high risk environments face unique challenges — if an incident occurs there is no immediate colleague to raise the alarm or provide assistance. Training and robust lone worker procedures are both a legal requirement and a moral duty.