Working at Height Management

Under the Work at Height Regulations (WAHR) 2005, what is defined as 'working at height'?

• AOnly work carried out more than two metres above the ground, measured from the working platform
• BWork at any height where a person could be injured by a fall, with no minimum height threshold✓
• COnly on scaffolding
• DAny work above ground level where a ladder or tower scaffold is being used to reach the workface

Answer: The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply regardless of height, wherever a person could be injured by a fall — there is no minimum height threshold. HSE explicitly rejects any '2-metre rule': even a fall from below 2 metres, such as into an excavation or through a fragile surface, is covered if it could cause injury.

What does the hierarchy of control for working at height specify?

• AEliminate height, use collective protection (platforms, guardrails), then personal protection (harnesses)✓
• BOnly use harnesses
• CHarnesses first
• DWarnings and signage only

Answer: Hierarchy for working at height: 1) Avoid work at height, 2) Collective protection (platforms, guardrails, nets), 3) Personal protective equipment (harnesses). Each level must be fully explored before moving to the next.

What is a 'competent person' in the context of working at height?

• AAnyone aged over 18
• BOnly supervisors
• CAnyone issued with a harness and lanyard who has signed the site's work at height register on arrival
• DA person with sufficient knowledge, experience, and training to manage work at height safely✓

Answer: A competent person for working at height has: knowledge of WAHR, understanding of risks, awareness of applicable standards, and sufficient training and experience.

What must be included in a 'working at height risk assessment'?

• AOnly the height of the work and the access equipment chosen, since rescue is the emergency services' responsibility in every case
• BOnly the weather forecast for the day and the wind speed recorded at the top of the scaffold at the start of each shift
• CHazards, persons at risk, existing controls, residual risk, supervision, rescue arrangements, and emergency procedures✓
• DOnly the specification of the equipment being used and the date of its last thorough examination certificate held on site

Answer: Risk assessments for work at height must address: hazards (falling objects, weather, surfaces), who is at risk, control measures, supervision needs, rescue plans, and emergency procedures.

What is a 'rescue plan' and when is it required?

• AOnly a theoretical document
• BA plan for emergency rescue if a worker falls or is suspended; required when workers may be isolated or suspended✓
• CAlways optional
• DOnly for work on buildings above six storeys, where the fire and rescue service could not reach a suspended worker

Answer: A rescue plan must detail how to safely rescue workers who may fall or become suspended. It is required when workers could be left suspended or unable to self-rescue.

What is the difference between 'collective' and 'personal' protective measures for working at height?

• ACollective is never adequate
• BThe two terms mean the same thing, since both of them describe equipment issued to individual operatives for their own use
• CCollective protects groups (guardrails, platforms); personal protects individuals (harnesses) and is a last resort✓
• DPersonal is always preferred

Answer: Collective protection (guardrails, platforms, safety nets) protects workers generally. Personal protection (harnesses, lanyards) is a last resort when collective measures are not feasible.

What inspection standards must be met for scaffolding used for working at height?

• AInspection by competent person before first use, weekly during use, and after any damage or adverse weather✓
• BInspection once a year by the scaffolding supplier, with the handover certificate kept on file in the site office
• COnly visual checks
• DInspection is unnecessary

Answer: Scaffolding must be inspected by a competent person: before first use, weekly during use, and after any damage or weather events that may affect safety.

What is a 'fall arrest system' and what are its components?

• AAn integrated system including harness, lanyard, and secure anchorage point designed to stop a falling worker✓
• BA full-body harness on its own, which will arrest a fall provided that it has been correctly adjusted and fastened
• CA single length of rope tied around the waist and secured to the nearest available part of the structure being worked on
• DEquipment needed only where a fall of more than five metres is possible, as shorter falls are considered survivable

Answer: A fall arrest system consists of: body harness, lanyard/rope, and secure anchorage point. When a worker falls, the system distributes force and stops the fall, minimizing injury.

What are the requirements for anchorage points for safety harnesses?

• AOnly fixings in the ceiling or roof structure directly above the worker, which are always strong enough to take the load of a fall
• BMust be secure, tested, able to withstand impact loads, and independent of the structure being worked on where possible✓
• CAny metal object within reach, such as a scaffold tube or a handrail, provided that it does not move when pulled on by hand
• DAny high point above the worker's head that looks solid and can take the weight of one person standing on it at the time

Answer: Anchorage points must: be secure and properly installed, be capable of withstanding anticipated impact loads (typically 15 kN), and be positioned to minimize swing distances.

What is 'edge protection' and when is it required?

• AOnly required on scaffolding
• BPhysical barriers (guardrails, balusters) preventing falls from unprotected edges; required at all open edges✓
• COnly warning signs
• DSuperseded wherever harnesses are worn

Answer: Edge protection (guardrails with top rails at 1.1 m and mid-rails, or other barriers) must prevent falls from unprotected edges. It is the preferred control for working at height.

What is 'suspended access equipment' and what are the main types?

• AOnly passenger and goods lifts installed permanently in the building, which are inspected under separate lifting equipment regulations
• BEquipment suspended from above for workers (e.g., powered platforms, cradles); types include powered platforms and boatswain chairs✓
• COnly ladders
• DOnly harnesses

Answer: Suspended access equipment includes powered platforms, cradles, boatswain chairs, and other suspended systems for accessing high locations. These require specialized training and inspection.

What must be done before working on a 'fragile surface' (e.g., skylights, rooflights)?

• AWork on fragile surfaces is never permitted under any circumstances, so the roof must always be replaced first
• BWarning signs at the roof edge on their own, with the work then carried out by whoever happens to be available
• CRisk assessment, protective measures (barriers or coverings), rescue plan, and trained personnel✓
• DNormal care is enough, provided the worker spreads their weight and avoids standing directly on a panel

Answer: Fragile surfaces require: risk assessment, physical protection (barriers or coverings preventing falls through), competent supervision, and rescue plans.

What is the maximum recommended working time at height without a break?

• AUnlimited, provided the operative is wearing a harness attached to a suitable anchorage point
• BOnly 1 hour maximum
• CBreaks are not needed where operatives have been certified fit for work at height by an occupational health provider
• DWork at height should be limited; breaks should be taken to reduce fatigue and maintain concentration✓

Answer: Working at height is fatiguing and demands concentration. Regular breaks (typically every 1-2 hours depending on conditions) are recommended to maintain safety.

What are 'weather precautions' for working at height?

• AOnly rain is a concern
• BOutside the site manager's responsibility
• CControl measures for wind, rain, ice, and visibility (e.g., stopping work, additional ties, increased inspection)✓
• DSet aside in dry weather

Answer: Weather precautions include: monitoring conditions, stopping work in high winds, treating surfaces to prevent slipping in rain/ice, and reducing work during poor visibility.

What is a 'permit to work' for working at height?

• AA formality only
• BA formal system authorizing work at height, specifying hazards, controls, competent persons, rescue arrangements, and supervisors✓
• CA permit needed only for operatives in their first year on site, who must be accompanied by a supervisor at all times while working
• DA standard site form signed by the operative at induction, which then covers all work at height they carry out during the contract

Answer: A permit to work for working at height documents: the work to be done, hazards and controls, competent persons involved, rescue arrangements, and supervisor approval.

What training must workers have for working at height?

• ATraining is optional where the work is supervised, because the supervisor carries responsibility for the safety of the whole gang
• BSpecific training in WAHR, equipment use, hazard recognition, rescue procedures, and emergency response appropriate to the work✓
• CFormal training may be waived where an operative has several years of experience and is supervised by a competent person at all times
• DOnly general induction

Answer: Workers must receive training specific to their work at height: hazard awareness, equipment use, inspection of equipment, rescue, and emergency procedures.

What is 'DROPS' (Dropped Objects Prevention Scheme)?

• AA scheme for cleaning down scaffolds and access platforms at the end of each working day before they are handed back
• BBest practice guidance to prevent dropped objects injuring people below (e.g., securing items, barriers, planning)✓
• CGuidance that applies only to offshore oil and gas installations and has no application on ordinary construction sites
• DOnly for construction

Answer: DROPS guidance includes: securing tools and materials to prevent drops, using tool lanyards, clear zones below work areas, and barriers to protect areas below.

What is a 'competency assessment' for working at height?

• AOnly for new starters
• BA formal evaluation confirming a person has knowledge, skills, and practical ability to work at height safely✓
• COnly done once
• DWaived once trained

Answer: Competency assessments confirm workers have theoretical knowledge and practical skills to perform their work at height safely. Assessments should be periodic.

What is 'supervision' of working at height?

• AOnly from a distance
• BCompetent management of workers to ensure compliance with safe procedures and equipment use✓
• CA token gesture
• DRequired only for tasks the supervisor judges to be difficult, such as work from a suspended cradle

Answer: Supervision of work at height requires a competent person monitoring workers, ensuring procedures are followed, equipment is properly used, and conditions are safe.

Under WAHR 2005, what must be provided regarding information and instruction?

• AA written policy statement displayed on the site notice board, which workers are expected to read in their own time before starting work
• BInformation given only when a worker asks the supervisor a direct question about the equipment they have been issued with for the task
• CAn optional extra covered during the annual refresher session for operatives who work regularly at height, rather than at induction
• DComprehensive information and instruction on safe work at height including hazards, controls, equipment, and emergency procedures✓

Answer: WAHR 2005 requires that all workers receive information and instruction on working at height: hazards, safe procedures, equipment use, rescue, and emergency response.

How often must a scaffold be inspected where a person could fall two metres or more?

• AAt the start of every shift on which it is going to be used by any of the trades
• BAfter assembly only, unless the scaffold is later altered, extended or struck
• CAfter assembly, and then at least every seven days while it remains in use✓
• DEvery twenty-eight days, and again before it is finally dismantled

Answer: Inspection is required following assembly or installation, and at intervals not exceeding seven days thereafter, with a report by a competent person. Start-of-shift inspection is the excavation rule, not the scaffold rule — mixing the two up is common and gets sites into trouble both ways.

What else triggers an inspection of a scaffold, outside the seven-day cycle?

• AAny week in which the scaffold has not been used by anyone at all
• BA change in the trades using it, since every trade loads the structure differently
• CThe arrival of a new site manager who has not previously seen the scaffold structure
• DAny event likely to have affected its strength or stability, such as high winds✓

Answer: Weather is the usual trigger — high winds, but also impact from a vehicle or plant, or alteration by anyone. The seven-day interval is a maximum for routine inspection, not a licence to ignore what has happened to the structure in between.

Who is permitted to inspect a scaffold and produce the report?

• AA competent person whose training and experience match that type of scaffold✓
• BAny site supervisor who holds a current SMSTS or SSSTS certificate
• CThe scaffolding contractor's commercial manager, as the responsible signatory
• DAny operative who has completed a working-at-height awareness course

Answer: Competence has to match the job: a basic tube-and-fitting scaffold and a complex design-drawn structure need different levels of knowledge. Holding a management certificate does not make someone competent to judge a scaffold, and neither does a general awareness course.

What does a scaffold tag at the access point tell you?

• AThe maximum number of people who are permitted on the scaffold at any one time
• BWhether the scaffold has been inspected and is currently safe to use✓
• CThe name of the scaffolding company that erected the structure
• DThe date the scaffold is scheduled to be dismantled and removed

Answer: The tag is the quick check before you climb: inspected, by whom, when, and whether it is fit to use. A missing tag, or one showing the scaffold is incomplete, means do not use it — go and find out why rather than assuming somebody forgot to update it.

A gap in the guard rail is stopping a bricklayer working. What should happen?

• AThe gap may be left if the bricklayer clips a harness to the scaffold instead
• BThe bricklayer may move one rail provided it is replaced before leaving the lift
• CA competent scaffolder alters it; the bricklayer must not adjust it themselves✓
• DWork continues and the alteration is raised at the next weekly inspection

Answer: Scaffolds are altered only by competent scaffolders. Trades removing a rail or a board to get at the work — and then not putting it back — is one of the most common causes of falls from scaffolds. A harness is not a substitute for collective protection that is already there.