The Working at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to: (1) avoid working at height where reasonably practicable, (2) where work at height can't be avoided, prevent falls using the right equipment and a safe system of work, and (3) where falls can't be prevented, mitigate the consequences using collective protection (e.g. nets) or personal protection (harnesses). There's no minimum height — the regulations apply wherever a person could fall and be injured. Falls from height cause around 30 fatalities and 50,000+ injuries in UK workplaces each year.
Working at height is one of the highest-risk activities in UK workplaces. The Working at Height Regulations 2005 are the central law governing it. This guide explains what the regulations require, the three-tier hierarchy of control, and what counts as "height" under UK law.
The Working at Height Regulations 2005 (often abbreviated WAHR or WAHR 2005) are UK regulations that consolidated and replaced earlier rules on falls. They came into force on 6 April 2005 and apply to all work at height across all UK industries — not just construction.
The regulations define "work at height" as work in any place from which a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. There's no minimum height threshold — the question is whether a person could fall and be injured.
The regulations apply broadly. Examples include:
The regulations don't apply to walking up and down stairs (covered by other regulations) or to work in or on a pit excavated below ground level (where the risk is being struck by falling material rather than falling).
The regulations set out a clear three-step hierarchy that must be followed in order:
| Step | Principle | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Avoid | Avoid work at height where reasonably practicable | Carry out tasks from ground level using extending tools, lower equipment to ground for maintenance, design out the need for work at height |
| 2. Prevent falls | Where work at height can't be avoided, prevent falls using the right equipment and a safe system of work | Scaffolding with edge protection, MEWPs, working platforms with guardrails, secured fixed ladders |
| 3. Mitigate consequences | Where falls can't be prevented, minimise the consequences | Collective protection: safety nets, soft-landing systems, airbags. Personal protection: harnesses with fall arrest (last resort) |
Within step 3, collective protection is preferred to personal protection because it works for everyone in the area without requiring individual action.
The regulations require employers to select appropriate equipment for the task. The HSE expects employers to consider:
Ladders and stepladders are at the bottom of the equipment preference order. They're acceptable for short-duration, low-risk tasks, but for sustained work most other equipment options should be considered first.
The regulations include specific requirements for:
Using ladders for tasks where MEWPs, scaffolding or fixed access platforms would be safer. Ladders are appropriate for short, low-risk tasks — not all work at height. Where ladders genuinely are the right choice, the people using them still need to know how — our Ladders and Steps Safety course covers safe ladder selection and use. For short-duration access work above ladder height, mobile tower scaffolds are often the better choice; the Mobile Tower Scaffold course (PASMA-equivalent) covers the assembly, use and dismantling competence the regulations expect.
Harness-based fall arrest systems require a rescue plan — a worker suspended in a harness can suffer suspension trauma within minutes. Many sites use harnesses without an effective rescue capability on hand. Where harness-based work is part of the operation, our Working at Height & Safe Use of Harness course covers correct use, inspection and the rescue planning that has to sit alongside it. Issuing harnesses without this depth of training is one of the patterns most consistently picked up at audit.
Operatives using MEWPs, scaffolding or other access equipment without IPAF, PASMA or equivalent training. The regulations require competence — not just provision of equipment.
Ladders with damaged rungs, scaffolding without recent inspection records, harnesses past their service date. The duty to maintain equipment is explicit. The competence to actually perform the inspections is itself a training requirement; our Inspection of Ladders and Working at Height Equipment course covers the inspection regime expected of in-house competent persons.
There's no minimum height under the Working at Height Regulations 2005. The regulations apply wherever a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury — even falls from a low platform onto a hard surface can cause serious injury.
The Working at Height Regulations 2005 came into force on 6 April 2005, replacing earlier construction-specific rules with a single set of regulations applying to all UK industries.
The employer is primarily responsible. Self-employed people have the same duties for themselves and any workers. Workers also have a duty to follow controls and use equipment correctly.
No — this is a common misconception. Ladders and stepladders remain legal for short-duration, low-risk tasks. The regulations require them to be the appropriate choice for the task, used correctly, and inspected.
The regulations apply where work is being carried out by a worker (employed or self-employed). They don't apply to a homeowner doing DIY on their own property. They do apply to a tradesperson working on the same property.
For consultancy support, see our Risk Assessment & Management consultancy. Or call us on +44 (0) 3300 569534.
