Working at Height Regulations: The Complete UK Guide to Compliance, Risk Assessment, and Fall Protection

Falls from height remain the single biggest killer on UK construction sites. According to HSE statistics, falls from height account for around 40 fatal injuries to workers each year, making them the leading cause of workplace deaths in construction and one of the top causes across all industries. Between 2019 and 2024, falls from height killed more workers than any other type of workplace accident in the UK, with hundreds more suffering life-changing injuries including spinal fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and permanent disability.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 exist to prevent exactly these outcomes. They set out clear legal duties for employers, the self-employed, and anyone who controls the work of others, requiring that all work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people using appropriate equipment. Yet despite the legislation being two decades old, enforcement actions and prosecutions remain common, with fines regularly exceeding six figures.

This guide explains everything you need to know about working at height regulations in the UK: what counts as work at height, who is responsible for compliance, how to carry out a proper working at height risk assessment, what equipment is required, and how these assessments integrate into your RAMS document.

Key Takeaways

• Falls from height are the number one cause of fatal injuries in UK construction, killing approximately 40 workers per year and seriously injuring many more.
• The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury, regardless of the height involved.
• There is no minimum height threshold in the regulations. Work at or below ground level (such as near excavations) can also be classified as work at height.
• Employers must follow the hierarchy of controls: avoid work at height where possible, prevent falls using guardrails and platforms, and minimise the consequences of falls using nets and harnesses.
• A written working at height risk assessment is a legal requirement and should be integrated into your RAMS documentation for every task involving height work.
• All workers must be competent, meaning they require appropriate working at height training for the specific tasks and equipment they will use.
• Penalties for non-compliance are severe: unlimited fines, imprisonment for up to two years, and corporate manslaughter charges in the most serious cases.
• Equipment must be regularly inspected and appropriate for the task. Ladders are the last resort, not the default choice.

What Are the Working at Height Regulations?

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the primary piece of UK legislation governing all aspects of working at height. They replaced a patchwork of older regulations and consolidated the rules into a single, comprehensive framework.

The regulations apply across all industries in England, Scotland, and Wales (Northern Ireland has parallel legislation) and are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They sit under the broader Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and work alongside other key legislation, including the CDM Regulations 2015 for construction projects, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

The regulations were last amended in 2007, primarily to align with European directives, but their core principles have remained unchanged since 2005.

What Counts as "Work at Height"?

This is where many organisations get it wrong. Work at height is not defined by a specific height measurement. The regulations define work at height as:

Work in any place, including a place at, above, or below ground level, where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

This means:

• Working from a ladder at 2 metres is work at height
• Standing on a flat roof with an unprotected edge is work at height
• Working near an excavation or open pit is work at height
• Climbing onto a vehicle to load or unload materials is work at height
• Using a stepladder to change a light fitting is work at height
• Working on a mezzanine floor without edge protection is work at height

Common Misconceptions

Misconception: "It's only work at height if you're above 2 metres" — Reality: There is no minimum height in the regulations. A fall from any height that could cause injury is covered.

Misconception: "Ladders are banned under the regulations" — Reality: Ladders are not banned but should only be used for low-risk, short-duration tasks where a more suitable option is not reasonably practicable.

Misconception: "The regulations don't apply to offices" — Reality: They apply to all workplaces. Changing ceiling lights, accessing storage on high shelves, and cleaning high-level windows all count.

Misconception: "Self-employed people are exempt" — Reality: The self-employed have the same duties as employers if their work at height could put themselves or others at risk.

Misconception: "You only need a risk assessment for high-risk tasks" — Reality: Every instance of work at height requires a risk assessment, regardless of perceived risk level.

Misconception: "Roof work is only dangerous at the edges" — Reality: Workers can also fall through fragile surfaces such as skylights, fibre cement sheets, and deteriorated roof coverings.

Who Is Responsible? Duty Holder Responsibilities

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 place duties on several categories of people. Understanding who is responsible is essential to ensuring compliance and avoiding prosecution.

Employers

Employers bear the primary responsibility. They must:

• Ensure that all work at height is properly planned, including the selection of appropriate equipment and the development of rescue procedures
• Carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for every task involving work at height
• Provide appropriate equipment that is regularly inspected and maintained
• Ensure that workers are competent and have received adequate working at height training
• Supervise work to ensure that safe systems of work are followed
• Maintain records of inspections, training, and risk assessments

The Self-Employed

Self-employed workers have the same duties as employers when it comes to planning, risk assessment, equipment, and competence. If you are a sole trader working as a roofer, scaffolder, or window cleaner, you must comply with every requirement of the regulations.

Employees and Workers

Employees and workers must:

• Follow the safe systems of work established by their employer
• Use equipment correctly and in accordance with their training
• Report any hazards or defects in equipment or working practices
• Not take unnecessary risks or bypass safety measures

Duty Holders Under CDM

On construction projects, the CDM Regulations 2015 impose additional duties. The principal contractor must coordinate working at height activities across the site, and the principal designer must ensure that designs eliminate or reduce height-related risks where possible. Contractors must produce task-specific risk assessments and method statements that address work at height.

The Hierarchy of Controls for Working at Height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 set out a clear hierarchy that must be followed when planning any work at height. You cannot simply jump to a safety harness; you must first consider whether the work at height can be avoided entirely.

Priority: 1 — Control Measure: Avoid work at height — Description: Eliminate the need to work at height entirely — Example: Assemble components at ground level; use extendable tools to clean gutters from the ground

Priority: 2 — Control Measure: Prevent falls — Description: Use work equipment or measures to prevent falls — Example: Guardrails, scaffolding with toe boards, MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms), podium steps

Priority: 3 — Control Measure: Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall — Description: If falls cannot be prevented, reduce the impact — Example: Safety nets, fall-arrest harnesses, airbags, soft-landing systems

This hierarchy is not advisory. It is a legal requirement. Enforcement officers will check whether you have worked through the hierarchy in order. Choosing a harness when a scaffold with guardrails was reasonably practicable is a breach of the regulations.

Applying the Hierarchy in Practice

Step 1: Can the work be avoided?

Consider whether the task can be redesigned so that nobody needs to work at height. For example, prefabricated roof trusses can be assembled at ground level and craned into position. Gutters and fascias can sometimes be cleaned or inspected using telescopic tools or drones.

Step 2: Can falls be prevented?

If work at height cannot be avoided, the next step is to use equipment that physically prevents a fall from occurring. This includes:

• Scaffolding with guardrails, toe boards, and fully boarded platforms
• MEWPs (cherry pickers, scissor lifts) with guardrails
• Podium steps for short-duration indoor tasks
• Permanent edge protection on flat roofs

Step 3: Can the consequences of a fall be minimised?

Only when fall prevention is not reasonably practicable should you move to fall mitigation measures:

• Safety nets positioned close to the working level
• Fall-arrest harnesses with appropriate anchor points
• Airbags and soft-landing systems for specific applications

Working at Height Equipment: What You Need to Know

Choosing the right working at height equipment is one of the most important decisions in the planning process. The regulations require that equipment is:

• Suitable for the task, the working conditions, and the risks involved
• Regularly inspected by a competent person
• Used only by workers who have been trained in its safe use
• Maintained in good working condition

Equipment Types and Their Applications

Equipment: Scaffolding — Best For: Extended work at height on buildings, facades, and structures — Key Requirements: Must comply with SG4 and TG20 guidelines; requires a scaffold design where necessary — Inspection Frequency: Before first use, then at least every 7 days and after adverse weather

Equipment: Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) — Best For: Temporary access to height, maintenance work, tree surgery — Key Requirements: Operators must hold IPAF or equivalent certification — Inspection Frequency: Pre-use checks daily; thorough examination every 6 months (LOLER)

Equipment: Podium Steps — Best For: Short-duration work at low heights indoors — Key Requirements: Must have guardrails and a stable platform — Inspection Frequency: Before each use; regular formal inspections

Equipment: Ladders and Stepladders — Best For: Short-duration, low-risk tasks only — Key Requirements: Three points of contact maintained; secured against slipping — Inspection Frequency: Before each use; regular formal inspections

Equipment: Safety Harnesses and Lanyards — Best For: Fall arrest where collective protection is not feasible — Key Requirements: Must be attached to tested anchor points; shock-absorbing lanyards required — Inspection Frequency: Before each use; thorough examination every 6 or 12 months

Equipment: Safety Nets — Best For: Construction projects, roof work, steelwork erection — Key Requirements: Must comply with BS EN 1263; installed as close to working level as possible — Inspection Frequency: Before first use and regularly during the project

Equipment: Roof Ladders and Crawling Boards — Best For: Access on fragile or pitched roofs — Key Requirements: Must be long enough to span across supports — Inspection Frequency: Before each use

When Can You Use a Ladder?

Ladders remain the most commonly misused piece of height safety equipment. The regulations permit ladders only where:

• A risk assessment has confirmed the task is low-risk
• The task is of short duration (generally under 30 minutes in one position)
• The working conditions are suitable (no adverse weather, stable ground)
• Three points of contact can be maintained at the working position
• The ladder can be secured to prevent it slipping sideways or outwards

Ladders are never appropriate for tasks requiring both hands to be free, for carrying heavy or bulky loads, or for extended periods of work. If you find your workers regularly spending hours on ladders, you should be using scaffolding, MEWPs, or podium steps instead.

LOLER and Equipment Inspections

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to MEWPs and other lifting equipment used for work at height. LOLER requires:

• A thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months for equipment that lifts people
• Reports of thorough examination to be kept available for inspection
• Equipment to be taken out of service if defects are found

Scaffolding inspections are governed by the Work at Height Regulations directly, requiring inspection before first use, at intervals not exceeding 7 days, and after any event likely to have affected stability (such as high winds or impact damage).

Working at Height Risk Assessments

A working at height risk assessment is a legal requirement under both the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Every task involving work at height must be assessed before work begins.

What the Risk Assessment Must Cover

A compliant working at height risk assessment should address:

1. The nature of the task: What work is being done? How long will it take? What tools and materials are needed at height?
2. The working environment: Is the work indoors or outdoors? What are the weather conditions? Is the ground stable? Are there overhead hazards such as power lines?
3. Who is at risk: Not just the workers at height, but also anyone below who could be struck by falling objects or materials.
4. The hierarchy of controls: Document how you have worked through the hierarchy. Can the work be avoided? If not, what fall protection measures will you use and why?
5. Equipment selection: What equipment will be used? Is it suitable? When was it last inspected?
6. Emergency and rescue procedures: What happens if someone falls? How will a casualty in a harness be rescued before suspension trauma becomes life-threatening?
7. Competence and training: Are the workers trained for the specific tasks and equipment involved?
8. Fragile surfaces: Is there any risk of falling through a fragile surface? How will this be controlled?
9. Falling objects: What measures are in place to prevent tools, materials, or debris from falling onto people below?

Risk Assessment and RAMS Integration

In construction, security, and facilities management, your working at height risk assessment should form part of your RAMS document. The risk assessment identifies and evaluates the hazards, while the method statement sets out the step-by-step safe system of work.

For trades that regularly work at height, having well-structured, task-specific RAMS templates is essential. swiftRMS provides AI-powered RAMS tools that help you generate comprehensive, compliant RAMS documents for a wide range of height-related tasks, including:

• [Scaffolders RAMS](/rams/scaffolders): Covering scaffold erection, alteration, and dismantling, with specific controls for each phase
• [Roofers RAMS](/rams/roofers): Addressing pitched and flat roof work, fragile surfaces, weather conditions, and edge protection
• [Window Cleaners RAMS](/rams/window-cleaners): Covering cradle systems, water-fed poles, rope access, and MEWP-based cleaning

Your RAMS documentation provides the evidence trail that demonstrates compliance with the regulations. If an incident occurs and the HSE investigates, one of the first things they will ask for is your risk assessment and method statement.

How Often Should Risk Assessments Be Reviewed?

Risk assessments are not one-off documents. They should be reviewed:

• Before each new task or project where conditions may differ from previous assessments
• After any incident, near-miss, or change in working conditions
• Periodically, to ensure they remain current and reflect actual working practices
• When new equipment or methods are introduced

A risk assessment from three years ago for a different building on a different site is not a compliant risk assessment for today's task.

Working at Height Training Requirements

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that all people involved in work at height are competent. Competence means having the practical and theoretical knowledge, training, and experience to carry out the work safely.

What Training Is Required?

There is no single "working at height certificate" mandated by law. Instead, the regulations require that training is appropriate for the specific task and equipment. This may include:

Training Type: Working at height awareness — Who Needs It: All workers who may work at height — Provider/Standard: Employer or accredited training provider

Training Type: Scaffold user/inspector training — Who Needs It: Anyone working on or inspecting scaffolding — Provider/Standard: CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme)

Training Type: MEWP operator training — Who Needs It: Anyone operating cherry pickers or scissor lifts — Provider/Standard: IPAF (International Powered Access Federation)

Training Type: Harness user training — Who Needs It: Anyone using fall-arrest harnesses — Provider/Standard: Competent training provider

Training Type: Roof work safety training — Who Needs It: Roofers, solar panel installers, maintenance workers — Provider/Standard: Competent training provider

Training Type: Ladder safety training — Who Needs It: Anyone using ladders and stepladders as part of work — Provider/Standard: Employer or accredited training provider

Training Type: Rescue and evacuation training — Who Needs It: Designated rescue personnel — Provider/Standard: Competent training provider

Key Training Requirements

• Training must be refreshed periodically. While no specific interval is prescribed in law, industry best practice recommends refresher training every 3 to 5 years, or sooner if working practices or equipment change.
• Training records must be kept and made available on request. This includes certificates, attendance records, and evidence of competence assessment.
• Supervision should be provided for less experienced workers, even if they have received training.
• Toolbox talks covering site-specific height hazards should be delivered regularly and documented.

Fragile Surfaces: A Hidden Killer

Fragile surfaces are one of the most dangerous hazards associated with work at height. Falls through fragile roofing materials, skylights, and roof lights account for a significant proportion of fatal falls in the UK.

What Is a Fragile Surface?

A fragile surface is any surface that would be liable to fail if a person's weight were applied to it. Common fragile surfaces include:

• Fibre cement roof sheets (especially older asbestos cement sheets)
• Plastic or glass skylights and roof lights
• Liner panels on industrial and agricultural buildings
• Corroded or deteriorated metal decking
• Chipboard or plywood that has degraded due to weathering

Legal Requirements for Fragile Surfaces

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 contain specific provisions for fragile surfaces (Regulations 9 and 10):

• No person shall pass across or near, or work on, from or near a fragile surface unless that is the only reasonably practicable way of carrying out the work
• Where work on or near fragile surfaces is unavoidable, suitable platforms, coverings, guardrails, or fall-arrest systems must be used
• Warning signs must be displayed at approaches to fragile surfaces
• Everyone on site must be informed about the location and nature of fragile surfaces

Employers also have a duty to consider fragile surfaces when workers carry out maintenance, inspection, or cleaning on any roof, as these surfaces may not always be obvious, particularly on older industrial buildings.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The HSE takes working at height offences extremely seriously, and penalties reflect the risk to life that non-compliance creates.

Criminal Prosecution

Breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 are criminal offences. The HSE can prosecute:

• Employers (as organisations or individuals)
• Directors and senior managers personally, if a breach can be attributed to their consent, connivance, or neglect
• The self-employed
• Employees who deliberately endanger themselves or others

Sentencing Guidelines

Offence Level: Minor breach (no injury) — Potential Penalty: Improvement or prohibition notice; fines from several thousand pounds

Offence Level: Significant breach (risk of serious injury) — Potential Penalty: Prosecution; fines of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of pounds

Offence Level: Serious breach (major injury or death) — Potential Penalty: Unlimited fines; imprisonment for up to 2 years for individuals

Offence Level: Corporate manslaughter (gross management failure causing death) — Potential Penalty: Unlimited fines (often millions); mandatory publicity orders

Recent Enforcement Examples

The HSE regularly publishes prosecution outcomes. Recent cases involving work at height include:

• A construction company fined over GBP 200,000 after a worker fell from an unguarded scaffold platform, suffering multiple fractures
• A roofing contractor sentenced to imprisonment after an employee fell through a fragile roof with no fall protection in place
• A facilities management company fined GBP 100,000+ after a window cleaner fell from height due to inadequate equipment and lack of a risk assessment

Beyond financial penalties, a prosecution results in a public record, reputational damage, increased insurance premiums, and potential loss of contracts, particularly on public sector work where health and safety records are scrutinised during procurement.

HSE Enforcement Notices

Even where prosecution is not pursued, the HSE can issue:

• Improvement notices: Requiring the duty holder to remedy a breach within a specified timeframe
• Prohibition notices: Stopping work immediately where there is a risk of serious personal injury. These take effect immediately and can shut down a site or a specific activity until compliance is achieved.

Both types of notice are published on the HSE's public register, making them visible to clients, contractors, and competitors.

Integrating Working at Height Into Your Health and Safety System

Working at height regulations do not operate in isolation. They sit within a broader health and safety framework that includes:

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: The overarching legislation imposing general duties on employers
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999: Requiring risk assessments for all significant workplace risks
• The [CDM Regulations 2015](/blog/cdm-regulations-2015-complete-guide): Imposing specific duties on construction projects, including the management of work at height
• [COSHH Regulations](/blog/coshh-regulations): Relevant where work at height involves exposure to hazardous substances (for example, spraying coatings on steelwork at height)
• LOLER 1998: Governing the inspection and maintenance of lifting equipment, including MEWPs
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER): Requiring that all work equipment is suitable, maintained, and used by trained workers

Your RAMS documentation should cross-reference these regulations where relevant, ensuring that no aspect of a task is assessed in isolation. A working at height risk assessment for spray-painting steelwork, for example, must also address COSHH requirements for the paint or coating being used.

Frequently Asked Questions

What height do the working at height regulations apply from?

There is no minimum height. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. This could be from a stepladder at 1 metre, a flat roof at 3 metres, or the edge of an excavation at ground level. The regulations focus on the risk of injury, not a specific measurement.

Do I need a risk assessment for using a stepladder?

Yes. Every use of a stepladder for work purposes requires a risk assessment. For routine, low-risk tasks, this can be a generic risk assessment covering standard stepladder use, but it must still be recorded and reviewed periodically. If the task involves unusual conditions (uneven ground, outdoor work, or reaching above head height), a task-specific assessment is required.

Who is responsible for working at height safety on a construction site?

Under the CDM Regulations 2015, the principal contractor has overall responsibility for managing health and safety on site, including work at height. However, each contractor remains responsible for the safety of their own workers and must produce adequate risk assessments and method statements. The client also has a duty to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place.

What working at height training do my workers need?

Workers need training that is appropriate for the specific tasks and equipment they will use. There is no single universal certificate. A scaffold erector needs CISRS training; a MEWP operator needs IPAF certification; all workers need awareness of height hazards and the site-specific controls in place. Training must be refreshed periodically and records must be maintained.

Can I use a ladder for work at height?

Yes, but only where a risk assessment confirms the task is low-risk, short-duration (typically under 30 minutes at one position), and conditions are suitable. You must demonstrate that you have considered the hierarchy of controls and that using a more suitable form of access (scaffolding, MEWP, podium steps) is not reasonably practicable for that specific task.

What is the difference between fall prevention and fall arrest?

Fall prevention stops a fall from occurring in the first place (e.g., guardrails, scaffolding, MEWPs with edge protection). Fall arrest catches a person after they have started to fall (e.g., safety harnesses with shock-absorbing lanyards attached to tested anchor points). The hierarchy of controls requires you to prioritise fall prevention over fall arrest wherever possible.

How often must scaffolding be inspected?

Scaffolding must be inspected by a competent person before first use, at intervals of no more than 7 days, and after any event likely to have affected its stability (such as high winds, heavy snow, or impact damage). Each inspection must be recorded in a scaffold inspection report, and the scaffold must be taken out of service if significant defects are found.

What are the rules for working on fragile roofs?

No person should work on, from, or near a fragile surface unless it is the only reasonably practicable way to carry out the work. Where fragile roof work is necessary, platforms, coverings, or crawling boards must be used to spread the load, and fall-arrest or fall-prevention systems must be in place. Warning signs must be displayed and all workers must be informed about the location of fragile surfaces.

What should I do if someone falls from height?

Activate your emergency and rescue plan immediately. Call 999 if serious injuries are suspected. If the casualty is suspended in a harness, rescue must be carried out urgently because suspension trauma (orthostatic intolerance) can become life-threatening within 15 to 20 minutes. The incident must be reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) if it results in a specified injury, incapacitation for more than 7 days, or a fatality.

Do the regulations apply to facilities management and cleaning?

Absolutely. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all industries. Window cleaning, gutter maintenance, lighting replacement, air conditioning servicing, CCTV installation, and any other task that involves a risk of falling is covered. Facilities management companies must carry out risk assessments, use appropriate equipment, and ensure their workers are trained, just as construction companies must.

Simplify Your Working at Height Compliance with swiftRMS

Producing comprehensive, compliant RAMS documentation for every working at height task is time-consuming, particularly when you are managing multiple sites, trades, and projects. Missing a critical control measure in your risk assessment does not just put workers at risk; it exposes your organisation to prosecution, unlimited fines, and reputational damage.

swiftRMS is an AI-powered RAMS tool built specifically for UK construction, security, and facilities management professionals. It helps you generate detailed, regulation-compliant RAMS documents in minutes, not hours, covering working at height, COSHH, manual handling, and every other common workplace hazard.

With swiftRMS, you can:

• Generate task-specific working at height risk assessments with the correct hierarchy of controls already built in
• Produce method statements covering step-by-step safe systems of work for height tasks
• Access trade-specific templates for scaffolders, roofers, window cleaners, and more
• Ensure your documents reference the correct legislation, including the Work at Height Regulations 2005, CDM 2015, and LOLER
• Keep your RAMS documentation consistent, professional, and audit-ready

Stop spending hours writing RAMS from scratch. Try swiftRMS free and see how AI-powered documentation can help you stay compliant and keep your workers safe.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For the most current guidance, refer to the HSE's working at height pages and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 on legislation.gov.uk. Always consult a competent health and safety professional for site-specific advice.