The working at height regulations are designed to prevent death and injury from falls at height.

As scaffolders, we work at height day in and day out. Following these regulations isn’t just a ‘nice to have’; it’s a legal necessity.

At Skill Scaffolding, health and safety is our number one priority. It’s at the heart of everything we do. We pride ourselves on those standards, and we believe they are among the best in the industry.

Even outside of the yard, we like to share that safety knowledge: it’s what we are hoping to achieve with this blog.

That’s why we have decided to dig in a little deeper into the Working at Height 2005 regulations.

What are the working at height regulations?

The working at height regulations 2005 is a set of regulations intended to protect workers from, sometimes fatal, falls. If you are an employer or you can control work at height, these regulations are likely to apply to you.

You are classed as working at height if you:

• Work above ground or floor level
• Could fall from an edge
• Face a risk of falling through an opening or fragile surface
• Could fall from ground level into an opening or hole in the floor/ground

Essentially, the regulations follow a set of key messages.

Working at height regulation key messages:

Before working at height you must follow these simple steps –

• avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so
• where work at height cannot be easily avoided, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment
• minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, by using the right type of equipment where the risk cannot be eliminated

You should –

• do as much work as possible from the ground
• ensure workers can get safely to and from where they work at height
• ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly
• not overload or overreach when working at height
• take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces
• provide protection from falling objects
• consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures

If you cannot avoid working from height, you will as a result take a PREVENT or MINIMISE approach to your work. This means either putting the systems in place to PREVENT a fall or to MINIMISE its risk.

A company should have a policy clearly outlining how they plan to carry out their work within these regulations. Not sure where to begin? You can explore some fantastic, valuable articles on how to work at height safely here.

Does Skill Scaffolding comply with these regulations?

Of course!

We work with a safety first mentality. No ifs, ands or buts.

You can trust in Skill.

Please contact a member of the Skill Scaffolding team to find out more about our full range of services.