Working at height

More than 4,000 people a year in the UK suffer major injuries from falls while working at height, and it's a major cause of workplace death. While the majority of these incidents occur in construction, other sectors of employment are also affected. For instance, HSE data for the education sector shows that in the last six years there have been five deaths and over 3,000 injuries due to falls from height. Most of the major injuries were associated with falls of less than two metres.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause injury. The policy statement outlines how to manage the risks, including details on:

• hierarchy of control for managing work at height
• window cleaning
• roof safety systems
• ladders and mobile elevating work platforms
• scaffolding
• permits to work