What are the Work at Height Regulations 2005?

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the primary UK legislation governing working at height. They require employers to avoid work at height where possible, use safe work equipment where it cannot be avoided, and plan and organise all work at height to minimise the risk of falls.

What Is Working at Height?

Q: 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. This includes working on ladders, scaffolding, roofs, mezzanine floors, and near unprotected edges or openings — even at ground level if there is an adjacent opening or excavation.

Working at height means any work carried out in a place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths in the UK, making this one of the most important safety topics for any employer.

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

Important: There is no minimum height. Work at any height — even standing on a chair to reach a shelf — is classed as working at height if there is a risk of falling that could cause injury.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the primary UK legislation. They apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. Key duties include:

Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so
Where it cannot be avoided, prevent falls using appropriate work equipment (guardrails, platforms, scaffolding)
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.

Employer Responsibilities

Under the regulations, 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

Cause	Prevention
Overreaching from a ladder	Use a platform or reposition the ladder
Unsecured ladder slipping	Secure at the top or have someone foot it
Walking on fragile surfaces	Use crawling boards, warning signs, barriers
Unprotected roof edges	Install temporary edge protection or guardrails
Scaffolding defects	Regular inspection by a competent person
Poor weather conditions	Postpone work in high winds, rain, or ice

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

Take Our Working at Height Level 3 Course

Our free online Working at Height Level 3 course covers UK legislation, risk assessment, equipment selection, PPE, rescue planning, and the hierarchy of controls — essential for anyone who works at height or manages those who do.

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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.