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Working at height

The Work at Height Regulations, consolidating previous UK and European legislation on work at height, came into force in April 2005. They apply to all work at height, both internal and external, where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. The Regulations bring together all previously existing work at height regulations and state the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment for work at height.

For projects involving working at height, a risk assessment should be completed to determine the appropriate equipment and provide guidance on inspection. This risk assessment should also be provided to contractors before any work commences. Selection of the equipment should take into account a range of factors such as ground conditions, duration and frequency of use and additional risks posed by use, installation and removal of the work equipment.

When selecting work equipment for work at height, the duty holder is required to prioritise collective measures over personal measures. This means that collective protection offered by MEWPs, scaffolding, guardrails etc should be given preference to personal fall protection systems such as work positioning, rope access and fall arrest. However, it does not prohibit the use of the latter if it is the most appropriate work equipment given the nature of the work to be carried out.

The legal requirements for different working at height equipment varies in terms of:

• Inspection and maintenance routines
• Inspection records and equipment register
• Hazard warnings
• Training on equipment selection and usage

Click on the following links to get advice on each specific type of equipment:

• Scaffolding
• Tower scaffolding
• Ladders, podiums and steps
• Fall arrest equipment
• Access equipment

For a free fact sheet on this topic please click here

For other resources on this topic, including a free Scafftag Equip Performance Pack please click here

For one-to-one advice on developing an Equipment Status Management System for this issue, request a free Scafftag Equip on-site expert visit.

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