What are the Work at Height Regulations 2005?

They are the main UK law covering any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. They put duties on employers and those in control of work to plan it, use competent people, and pick the right equipment, following a hierarchy of avoid, prevent, then minimise falls.

What is the hierarchy for working at height?

First, avoid work at height if you reasonably can. If you cannot, prevent falls using an existing safe place of work or the right equipment, such as a scaffold with guardrails. Where a fall risk still remains, minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.

Do the regulations require scaffold inspection?

Yes. Work platforms like scaffolds must be inspected before first use, at intervals of no more than every 7 days, and after anything that could affect their stability. A competent person carries out the inspection and records it.

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Industry23/08/20263 min read

Working at Height Regulations: A Scaffolder's Guide

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the main law behind almost everything a scaffolder does. They apply to any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury, and they put clear duties on employers and whoever is in control of the work to plan it properly, use competent people and choose the right equipment. Scaffolding exists largely because of them: a scaffold is one of the ways you provide a safe place to work at height.

You do not need to recite the regulations, but knowing how they think is part of being a safe, employable scaffolder.

What counts as "work at height"

A common myth is that "work at height" means above two metres. It does not. The definition is any place where, without precautions, a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. There is no minimum height. A fall from a low platform onto steelwork below can be as serious as a longer one, which is why the rules bite on more jobs than people expect.

The hierarchy: avoid, prevent, minimise

The regulations do not just say "be careful". They set an order of priorities, and the whole approach flows from it:

Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so. If a job can be done from the ground, do it from the ground.
Prevent falls where you cannot avoid the work. That means using an existing safe place of work, or the right equipment to stop a fall happening: a properly built scaffold with guardrails and toe boards is a textbook example.
Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall where a residual risk remains, for instance with collective measures like nets or, as a last resort, personal fall protection.

A guardrailed scaffold sits at the "prevent" level, which is why it is such a widely used solution. It stops the fall rather than just softening it.

The duties that fall on the job

Under the regulations, those in control of work at height must:

Plan and organise it properly, including for emergencies and rescue.
Use competent people, with the training and experience for the task.
Assess the risks and pick suitable equipment for the conditions.
Inspect and maintain work platforms and equipment.

That last duty is where scaffolding inspection comes in. A scaffold must be inspected before first use, at intervals of no more than every 7 days, and after any event that could affect its stability, each inspection carried out and recorded by a competent person. We cover exactly how that works in how often scaffolding should be inspected.

What it means for you day to day

In practice the regulations show up as the safe systems you already work within: proper access, guardrails and toe boards, sound ties, tags and inspections, and the right PPE for working at height. Understanding why those things are there is part of what makes a good scaffolder and a safe crew.

Want to work for a firm that takes it seriously? Browse the latest scaffolding jobs and apply direct to the companies hiring.

Common questions

What are the Work at Height Regulations 2005?: They are the main UK law covering any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. They put duties on employers and those in control of work to plan it, use competent people, and pick the right equipment, following a hierarchy of avoid, prevent, then minimise falls.
What counts as work at height?: Work in any place where, without precautions, a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. There is no minimum height in the definition. Falls below two metres still count, which is why the regulations apply to far more than tall scaffolds.
What is the hierarchy for working at height?: First, avoid work at height if you reasonably can. If you cannot, prevent falls using an existing safe place of work or the right equipment, such as a scaffold with guardrails. Where a fall risk still remains, minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.
Do the regulations require scaffold inspection?: Yes. Work platforms like scaffolds must be inspected before first use, at intervals of no more than every 7 days, and after anything that could affect their stability. A competent person carries out the inspection and records it.