This guidance covers avoiding, preventing and limiting falls, ladders, fragile roofs, and the checks and rescue planning expected of everyone who works at height.

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Further Reading

Further guidance on working at height:

• Working at Height
• Management and Use of Ladders
• Health and Safety knowledge base

How to Download

These files are included in the alphaZ subscription. The training talk is also included in the ISO 45001 Toolkit and the integrated toolkits that include it.

Need Help Implementing?

If you'd like hands-on help planning work at height and preparing the risk assessments behind it, our remote support services provide direct expert input from our team, by the day, by project, or on an ongoing basis.

Working Safely at Height Guidance

A general guidance document on working safely at height, for workers who may work at height and the people who plan that work. It explains what counts as working at height, how the company avoids, prevents and limits falls, the common causes of fall accidents and what workers must do.

Topics Covered

• What working at height means - anywhere a fall could cause injury without precautions, such as a ladder, a flat roof, a fragile surface or a floor opening
• Avoiding and preventing falls - avoiding work at height where possible, then using a safe place of work or equipment such as a mobile elevating work platform
• Limiting the consequences - harnesses, safety nets and soft-landing systems where a risk of falling remains, and protecting others from falling objects
• Ladders and training - ladders for low-risk, short-duration tasks, the right ladder for the job, risk assessed work and training for everyone involved
• Common causes of accidents - where fall accidents commonly happen, such as roof repairs and cleaning, and which roof materials are likely to be fragile
• Worker responsibilities - working from the ground where possible, checking the place of work, weather, exclusion zones, safe storage and rescue planning

Who Is It For?

Anyone who works at height, including on ladders, roofs or work platforms, and the managers and supervisors who plan and organise that work.

Included in the ISO 45001 Toolkit

This guidance is supplied with the TT-7-07 Working Safely at Height training talk, which is part of the ISO 45001 Toolkit and the integrated toolkits that include it.

Using the Guidance

Issue it before anyone is given work at height, and go through it again before roof work. Record who has received it, for example on the training matrix.

Avoid, Prevent, Then Limit a Fall

The guidance sets out the company's approach in order. Work at height is avoided wherever possible. Where it cannot be, falls are prevented by using an existing safe place of work or equipment such as a mobile elevating work platform. If a risk of falling remains, harnesses, safety nets or soft-landing systems limit the distance and consequences. Ladders may be used for low-risk, short-duration tasks.

Adapting the Guidance

Edit the guidance to match your own arrangements - the access equipment you use, when ladders are allowed, how work at height is risk assessed and your emergency, evacuation and rescue procedures.

Related Documents

Other documents that work alongside this guidance:

• PP-7-07 Working Safely at Height Policy Procedure
• P-76 Working at Height Policy
• RA-HS01 Working at Height
• F-HS39 Scaffold Inspection Checklist
• GG-7-21 Safe Use of Ladders