What Is Working at Height?

Working at height means any work carried out in a place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury — the definition used by the Work at Height Regulations 2005, the UK law that governs it. There is no minimum height. Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths in Great Britain, which is why the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) treats it as a priority.

What Counts as Working at Height?

The definition is broader than many people realise. Working at height includes:

• Working on ladders, stepladders, and kick stools
• Working on scaffolding or mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs)
• Working on roofs, including flat roofs
• Working near an unprotected edge or opening (e.g. a mezzanine without guardrails)
• Working on or near fragile surfaces (e.g. skylights, fibre cement roofing)
• Working at ground level next to an excavation or pit
• Working on a loading dock without edge protection
• Accessing a vehicle trailer or tanker top

What do the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require?

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require every duty holder to follow a three-step hierarchy: avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable, otherwise prevent falls with the right equipment, and where a fall still cannot be prevented, minimise the distance and consequences. They also require all work at height to be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people, with equipment selected, inspected and maintained for the job. They are the primary UK legislation and apply wherever there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury:

1. Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so
2. Where it cannot be avoided, prevent falls using appropriate work equipment (guardrails, platforms, scaffolding)
3. Where falls cannot be prevented, minimise the consequences using safety nets, airbags, or personal fall protection (harnesses)

This hierarchy must be followed in order — you cannot jump straight to a harness without first considering whether the task can be done from the ground or from a safer platform.

Who is responsible for safety when working at height?

The employer, and anyone else who controls work at height — a facilities manager, a principal contractor, a self-employed tradesperson — is the duty holder under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Employees must follow the training and instructions they are given, use the equipment provided properly and report any hazard they notice, but the legal duty to plan, equip and supervise the work sits with whoever controls it. In practice, employers and those who control the work must:

• Carry out a risk assessment for all work at height activities
• Ensure work is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people
• Select appropriate work equipment (the most suitable, not the cheapest or most convenient)
• Ensure equipment is regularly inspected and maintained
• Protect against falling objects as well as falling people
• Consider weather conditions that could compromise safety
• Have emergency and rescue procedures in place

Common Causes of Falls from Height

Key Statistics

• Falls from height are the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the UK
• They account for approximately 25-30% of all workplace deaths each year
• The construction industry has the highest rate of fatal falls from height
• Many fatal falls occur from relatively low heights — ladders and through fragile roofs are the most common scenarios

What Activities Do the Work at Height Regulations 2005 Cover?

The regulations cover any activity with a risk of a fall liable to cause injury — there is no minimum height in the law. Covered activities include:

• Working on ladders, stepladders, and mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs)
• Working on scaffolding, towers, and temporary platforms
• Roof work — including inspections, maintenance, and fragile-surface work
• Working on vehicles, trailers, and machinery
• Working near unprotected edges, openings, mezzanines, and loading bays
• Working at ground level next to an excavation, pit, or tank a person could fall into

They do not cover slips and trips on the level, walking up and down a staircase in a building, or work at height in private domestic homes done by the householder themselves (though tradespeople working in someone's home are covered).

Equipment: Selection and Inspection Duties

The regulations set specific duties around work equipment. Collective protection (guardrails, platforms, nets that protect everyone) must be given priority over personal protection (a harness that protects one person). Equipment must be:

• Appropriate for the task and conditions — a ladder is only acceptable for low-risk, short-duration work (as a rule of thumb, under 30 minutes) where a safer option is not reasonably practicable
• Inspected regularly — scaffolding every 7 days and after any event that could affect its stability; ladders before each use and formally at set intervals
• Assembled and used by competent people — someone with the training, knowledge, and experience for the task

Who Enforces the Regulations?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities enforce the regulations. Breaches can lead to improvement and prohibition notices, unlimited fines, and — for the most serious cases involving fatalities — prosecution of individuals under gross negligence manslaughter or of organisations under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, which is why enforcement in this area is priority work for the HSE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is working at height training a legal requirement?

Yes. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that anyone involved in work at height is competent, or is being supervised by a competent person. Training is the primary way to demonstrate competence.

Do the regulations apply to self-employed people?

Yes. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to employers, employees, and self-employed people. If you are self-employed and work at height, you must comply with the same requirements.

Can I use a ladder for work at height?

Ladders can be used for work at height, but only when a risk assessment shows they are the most suitable option. They should only be used for short-duration tasks (up to 30 minutes), light work, and where three points of contact can be maintained. A safer alternative (scaffold, MEWP, podium step) should always be considered first.

What height is classed as working at height?

There is no minimum height in UK law. The old "two-metre rule" was abolished when the 2005 regulations came in — any height where a fall could cause injury counts, which is why a fall from the second step of a stepladder is still covered.

How often should scaffolding be inspected?

At least every 7 days, plus after any event that could affect its stability — high winds, alteration, or impact. Inspections must be recorded by a competent person before the scaffold is used again.

Related guides

• What is a fire risk assessment? — the other assessment every workplace must have.
• What is manual handling? — the most common cause of workplace injury, and its own hierarchy of duties.
• Health & safety glossary A–Z — MEWP, PPE, RIDDOR and 60 more terms explained.
• Online vs classroom health & safety training — which format suits working at height training.