If you or your employees work at height, safety should always be your top priority.

Falls from height are the leading cause of fatal injuries in the construction industry. Many workers have died after falling from rooftops, off ladders, through fragile surfaces, etc.

Here in the UK, The Work at Height Regulations 2005 must be adhered to when working at height. These regulations serve not only to help workers understand what they can do to keep themselves and their colleagues safe, but also to alert employers to their responsibilites.

Read on for a handy overview of the official UK working at height regulations. If you're looking for more in-depth guidance, see The Complete Guide to Working at Height. And if you're unsure whether a particular job even counts as working at height, see What Does 'Working at Height' Mean?

Working at height: employer responsibilities

Employers are responsible (within reason) for the safety of their employees who work at height. Employers must:

• Avoid asking employees to work at height where possible. If the job in question can be completed to a satisfactory standard without working at height, this is always preferable.
  
  
• Ensure that employees have received appropriate training and instruction before they work at height.
  
  
• Carry out a thorough risk assessment before work at height begins.
  
  
• Plan each job carefully and make sure workers are supervised at all times.
  
  
• Take weather conditions and other environmental hazards into account each time work at height needs to occur.
  
  
• Provide suitable safety equipment to minimise risk during work at height.
  
  
• Ensure that all equipment for working at height is inspected regularly, kept in good working order, and replaced if unreliable.
  
  
• Take precautions to minimise the risk posed by falling objects.

What must employees do while working at height?

Of course, employers can't control everything, so each employee also bears some responsibility for their own safety and the safety of those around them.

For example, employees must:

• Refrain from working at height while under the influence of any intoxicant which could lead them to endanger themselves or others
  
  
• Use PPE and other safety products appropriately
  
  
• Report any dangers they discover (e.g. defective safety equipment)
  
  
• Behave in a responsible manner while working at height
  
  
• Follow their safety training

Work at height risk assessments

The regulations state that a thorough risk assessment must be carried out before any work at height takes place. This should include a full examination of factors that might cause harm during work so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

A robust working at height risk assessment should answer these questions:

• WHERE are the potential hazards?
  
  
• WHO might be harmed?
  
  
• HOW might they be harmed?
  
  
• WHAT steps can be taken to eliminate (or at least minimise) the risk?

The goal of a risk assessment is to evaluate all potential hazards, make a record of these hazards, and identify the best way to address each one.

What equipment is needed to work at height?

There's a wide array of equipment available to help prevent falls during work at height. Here at Safety Liftin Gear, we make it our business to supply the products that you and your employees need to stay safe.

Take a look at our full range of working at height safety equipment, or use the buttons below to browse some of our most popular fall protection products:

Safety Harnesses   Fall Arrest Blocks   Safety Lanyards

If you need help selecting the right equipment for work at height, you can contact Safety Liftin Gear for expert advice.