UK legislation does not set a ‘minimum safe height’ for work at height activities.
However, a common misconception among employers is that, because there is no specified minimum height, tasks carried out at a comfortable or seemingly ‘safe’ height are not subject to the relevant regulations. This is not the case. There is no minimum height or threshold that legally defines when someone is working at height. Instead, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply whenever there is a risk of a person falling and suffering an injury.
Employers must assess the risks associated with any work at height activities and put into place appropriate control measures, training and supervision before the work begins. These risks can arise across a wide range of situations and equipment, including ladders, scaffolding, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and other access equipment.
Understanding what legally constitutes working at height is therefore essential for employers to ensure that suitable measures are in place and that workers receive the appropriate training for the tasks they are expected to undertake.
Why Is There No Minimum Height Classed as Working at Height?
Historically, UK regulations included a ‘two-metre rule’, with specific requirements for protection against falls when carrying out certain construction work at or above two metres. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 have long since removed this threshold, replacing it with a risk-based approach that applies wherever there is a risk of a fall liable to cause injury, rather than the distance between the person or platform and the ground.
As such, work at height activities where the regulations may apply include:
- Working from a ladder
- Using a mobile access tower
- Operating a cherry picker or scissor lift
- Accessing or working on rooftops
- Working near floor openings or fragile surfaces
- Loading or unloading vehicles from raised platforms
- Working below ground level where there is a risk of falling from a higher level to a lower level
What Are Employers’ Duties Under the Work at Height Regulations?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that working at height means any place where the distance of a possible fall could cause an injury if the right precautions aren’t in place.
The regulations place a legal duty on employers and self-employed workers to ensure that measures are in place to prevent this. Responsibilities include:
- Using certified, regularly inspected, and well-maintained equipment for the task
- Carrying out detailed risk assessments – ensuring they are repeated should the working conditions change, such as switching to a different type of platform or progressing a construction project to another phase.
- Organising appropriate and effective training for workers
- Planning for emergencies and rescue procedures
While everyone involved in a workplace scenario bears some responsibility for working safely at height, employers must also follow the hierarchy of control for any work at height activity:
- Avoid: Avoid the work where reasonably practicable.
- Prevent: Where it cannot be avoided, prevent falls by using suitable equipment or an existing safe place of work.
- Minimise: Where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, minimise the distance and consequences of a fall using appropriate equipment.
The emphasis is on taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. Ensuring we prevent falls before any work starts first and foremost, rather than mitigating the severity of a possible fall after the fact.
Who Requires Formal Working at Height Training?
The exact courses required will depend on each person’s role and responsibilities, the nature of their work, and the types of equipment they use. For example, for a work at height task that required the use of a Mobile Access Tower, the following training would be required:
- Workers: Employees who often work at height require practical training on the equipment they use and the associated safety risks. A PASMA Towers for Users course would provide them the knowledge and skills required to safely use the tower.
- Supervisors & Managers: Staff who’re responsible for planning workplace safety, selecting appropriate equipment, ensuring work is legally compliant, monitoring safe working practices and ensuring height-related risks are being properly controlled. As such, a PASMA Towers for Managers Course would be more appropriate, as it gives insight into how to better support workers on site and the legal obligations of their role.
Employers are tasked with verifying that workers are competent to work at height, or scheduling the necessary training before work begins, and providing employees with sufficient information, supervision and instructions to work safely.
How Can Employers Reduce Working at Height Risks?
The best approach is to follow the guidance within the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which we’ve summarised above. That means ensuring training is completed, equipment is safe, well-maintained and thoroughly inspected, and that risk assessments are repeated whenever there is a change to working conditions or the nature of working at height.
Managing Director at Kentec Training, Steve Booker, says:
“One of the biggest misunderstandings we hear is the assumption that working at height only starts at a certain distance or only applies when an employee is at the top of a ladder or scaffold. This isn’t how the law works, and if a person might fall and could become injured, it’s the responsibility of employers to plan the work, assess the relevant risks and ensure their teams have the necessary training and equipment before they get started.”
Although the training required will depend on several variables, our relevant work at height programmes include:
- PASMA Mobile Access Tower Training
- IPAF MEWP Operator Training
- Ladder Association Ladder, Stepladder & Step Stool Training
- Safety Harness Essentials, Inspection, Rescue & Rooftop Safety Training
- TETRA Ladder Safety Systems Training
With extensive expertise in work at height and a dedicated range of specialist training programmes, Kentec Training can help employers ensure their teams have the knowledge, skills and practical experience needed to work safely at height.
Our purpose-built training centres provide an ideal learning environment, combining classroom-based theory with realistic, practical training using industry-relevant equipment. Whether you need training for ladders, access towers, MEWPs, harnesses or specialist access systems, our experienced instructors can help you identify the right training for your workforce and reduce the risks associated with working at height.
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