Work at Height Regulations

The Work at height regulations (WAHR 2005) derive from the EU Directive 2001/45 and were passed through Parliament in April 2005. These regulations have the force of law under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA).

Who does WAHR 2005 apply to?

WAHR 2005 applies to employers, employees and self-employed.

What are the regulations when it comes to working at height?

WAHR 2005 states that if any person to whom the regulations apply is going to be working at height, where a fall from that distance could cause injury, they are bound by law to do a risk assessment.

As a result of that risk assessment, the person involved must take suitable actions in order to eliminate the risk identified in the said risk assessment. In this case it could be choosing the most suitable work platform available for the specific application.

Work Equipment Requirements:-

The Employer's duty is to select work equipment, having taken into account the nature and conditions of work, which is both the most appropriate for the work and suitable for the avoidance of risk.

A further duty is to ensure that the work equipment selected meets the requirements of WAHR 2005, which are  working platform requirements (schedule 3 in the Work at Height Regulations 2005) and the provision of guard rails. For the construction industry there are additional requirments for kick and toe boards and intermediate guard rails.

For more information about WAHR 2005, please visit the HSE website.