The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/735) are the primary legal framework governing work undertaken at height in Great Britain. They apply to all employers, the self-employed, and anyone who controls work at height — including principal contractors, facilities managers, and property owners who commission work on their premises.
Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain. In 2023/24, according to HSE statistics, falls from height accounted for 40 fatal injuries to workers — the largest single cause of workplace death in any sector. The regulations exist because the risk is real, the consequences are catastrophic, and the preventive measures are well established.
When Do the Regulations Apply?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to any work in any place from which a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. There is no minimum height threshold. A fall from a 1-metre stepladder can be fatal depending on how the person lands. The regulations apply to: work on roofs; work on scaffold; use of ladders, stepladders and podium steps; use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs, cherry pickers); work at the edge of an excavation or trench; work on mezzanine floors near an unprotected edge; and work near or on fragile surfaces such as plastic or fibrous cement roofing sheets.
The regulations also apply to work below ground level where a person could fall into an excavation. Working in pits, vaults, or near trenches falls within scope.
The Hierarchy of Control (Regulation 6)
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to apply a specific hierarchy when planning work at height. This is not optional — you must follow the steps in order:
Step 1: Avoid
Where it is reasonably practicable to do the work without going to height, do so. Examples: fit a new light fitting using a ground-level pole tool; assemble a structure at ground level before lifting into position; use remote access equipment for inspection tasks. If avoidance is reasonably practicable and you do not take it, you are not complying with Regulation 6(2).
Step 2: Prevent falls (collective measures)
Where work at height cannot be avoided, prevent falls using collective protective measures. These are measures that protect everyone on site without requiring individual action. Examples: full scaffold with double guardrail and toe board complying with TG20:21 guidance; edge protection at roof perimeters; mobile elevated work platforms with guardrails; working platforms with guardrails. Collective measures must be chosen before personal protective equipment.
Step 3: Minimise consequences (arrest systems)
Where fall prevention is not reasonably practicable, install systems that minimise the distance and consequences of a fall. These include: safety nets installed below the work area; soft-landing systems (airbags, bean bag-type systems); and personal fall arrest equipment (full-body harness, energy-absorbing lanyard, anchor point). Fall arrest systems must be inspected, maintained, and workers must be trained in their use. A harness used without training, a compatible anchor point, or regular inspection is worse than useless — it creates a false sense of security.
Ladders and Stepladders
Ladders may only be used as a workplace where Regulation 6 is satisfied and Schedule 6 conditions are met: the risk assessment justifies their use; the duration of use is short; the physical demands are low; and the work can be done with one hand. Ladders must be erected at the correct angle (1 in 4, approximately 75 degrees); secured at the top or footed at the bottom; extend at least 1 metre above the landing point; and be inspected before each use. A ladder left in poor condition or used without securing is a Regulation 12 breach.
Scaffolding
Scaffolding used as a working platform more than 2 metres above the ground must be inspected under Schedule 7 before first use, after any event liable to have affected its stability (including high winds), and at least every 7 days. Inspections must be carried out by a competent person and the results recorded on a CISRS scaffold inspection report or equivalent. The TG20:21 guide published by the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) provides the technical compliance standard for tube and fitting scaffold in the UK.
Fragile Roofs and Surfaces
Regulation 9 requires specific precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces. Where workers could fall through a fragile surface, suitable platforms, coverings or other supports must be provided to spread the load. Warning signs must be posted. Fragile surface materials include: profiled fibrous cement sheeting (grey corrugated roofing sheets common on industrial buildings); perspex and polycarbonate rooflights; corroded or brittle metal sheeting; and glass roofs. Never assume a rooflight can bear weight — it cannot.
Inspection and Record Keeping
Schedule 7 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 requires inspection records to be kept for: working platforms from which a person could fall 2 metres or more; personal fall protection equipment; and scaffolding. The record must be made promptly after the inspection, kept at the site until the work is complete, and then kept for three months. The record must include: the name and address of the person for whom the inspection was carried out; the location of the work equipment; a description of the equipment; the date and time; any matters identified affecting safety; and the name of the inspector.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 are criminal offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The HSE takes work at height enforcement seriously: in 2022/23 construction sector prosecutions resulted in fines totalling over £17 million. Unlimited Crown Court fines and imprisonment for up to two years are available for individuals. The HSE’s Fee for Intervention charges £163 per hour from the point a material breach is identified. A prohibition notice stopping all work at height on a construction site can be immediate and commercially devastating.
Work at Height Risk Assessments
Every employer and self-employed person who carries out work at height must have a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. The assessment must be specific to the actual work, the actual location, and the actual equipment being used. It must identify the significant hazards, who is at risk, and the control measures in place. Anyrisks generates compliant work at height risk assessments for your specific trade and project in under 2 minutes. See also: scaffolding risk assessment, roofing risk assessment, tree surgery risk assessment, and CDM Regulations 2015 guide.
