You might see the title of this blog today and wonder why we’ve bothered to put together a piece about it at all. But at what height you’re considered to be working at height in the UK is a genuinely contentious issue, and one that could have far reaching consequences if not clearly defined.

Think about workers in the construction industry, for example, who have been involved in accidents whilst working at height caused by their employers negligence. Employers in the UK have a duty to ensure the safety of their workers whilst at work, and this involves putting in place proper:

Fall protection systems
Fall arrest systems
Edge protection systems
Roof access systems

To prevent falls from height causing personal injuries or death. But this doesn't just apply to construction work - there are a range of industries where knowing what working at height is and how to protect workers doing so is vital.

If employers fail to protect workers working at height with the appropriate work equipment and safety systems, then they are liable for those injuries and any compensation sought. Without a clear definition, this can cause legal issues, if nothing else.

So at what height are you considered to be working at height in the UK?

The HSE Definition For Working At Height

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) defines working at height as being anywhere that a worker is completing a task where if they fell they would face personal injury without the proper precautions in place to prevent falls from happening in the first place, or else reduce the impact of the fall. If a person could fall a distance liable to cause an injury, then they're working at height.

If the distance fallen is great enough to cause injury, then the HSE says you’re working at height. They offer some examples and say that you’re considered to be working at height in the UK if you:

work above ground/floor level
could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface or
could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground

Work above ground level

In this scenario you would only be considered to be working at height if you’re working above ground level and had to access that level without a permanent staircase.

For example - an office worker having to climb 3 flights of stairs to conduct their work isn’t considered to be working at height. A roof maintenance worker having to climb an access ladder to the roof to carry out their work would be, of course.

what height is considered working at height

Falls through edges, openings & fragile surfaces

This is important for employers to know, because it means they have to take responsibility for potential risks. Falling over edges would require an adequate edge protection system to be installed to prevent accidents such as these. Likewise openings would need to be properly marked and access prevented to stop someone falling through an opening.

It’s also important for a thorough risk assessment to be carried out for any work at height task, and fragile surfaces ought to be identified in this. For example, roof lights are often fragile and would need a proper rooflight fall protection cage installed to stop workers accidentally stepping on them and falling through. A fragile roof surface might also be found. Here effective skylight covers, guardrails or fall restraint systems must be used to protect those at risk of falling.

Falls into openings or holes

This is an important distinction because it prevents employers from not taking responsibility for their workers when working at ground level. Just because a worker is on ground level doesn’t mean they aren’t technically working at height if there’s a risk that they can fall into an opening or hole.

Proper precautions are still necessary here.

What’s Not Considered Issues When Working At Height?

The HSE makes clear that a fall from height has to involve a fall from one level to another, meaning if you’re working from height and trip or slip and injure yourself, then you technically didn’t have a fall from height and you would be entitled to different compensation depending on how the accident happened and whether or not your employer was negligent.

How To Protect Workers Working At Height: Employers

One of the key points of the HSE definition for working at height is that you’re considered to be working at height if you're working somewhere that could cause personal injury if you fell without the proper precautions in place. It’s that last part that’s especially important for employers.

You are responsible for installing the proper safety systems to protect workers who are on your site and providing appropriate personal protective equipment and safety equipment for personal protection. Anybody carrying out a task at height on your behalf must be protected. This usually involves the proper installation and maintenance of height safe systems, such as:

Fall protection systems
Fall arrest systems
Edge protection systems
Roof access systems

Within these systems you'll find solutions offering collective protection to multiple workers at once, and individual solutions designed to keep employees safe.

It’s important to remember that their maintenance is also your responsibility. Simply having the systems installed isn’t enough - they must be compliant with all relevant work at height regulations and safety standards or else they could become a hazard in themselves without the maintenance and inspections they require to be fit for purpose.

It’s also your responsibility to ensure all workers working at height know how to use these systems in a safe and effective way. Appropriate training for employees working at height is vital. You have to make working at height as low risk as possible for the person carrying out the task.

How To Protect Workers Working At Height: Employees

As an employee, if you’re working at height it’s your responsibility to check the systems you’re using before and after each use. If anything seems out of the ordinary - like loose or missing parts or faulty connections, etc - then you must report it right away so the system can be taken out of use until a trained working at height specialist carries out repair work.

If you feel you’re unable to use a height safe system effectively, then raise this to your manager. It’s their job to ensure you have the proper training and knowledge. That way you can use the systems in the safest way possible to protect yourself and those around you.

At What Height Are You Considered To Be Working At Height: Final Thoughts

Although there isn’t a specific height you must be working at to be considered working at height, it is generally the case that you’re working at height if you could fall from one level to another level and that fall would cause personal injury if proper protection wasn’t in place. This could be working platforms or a fall at ground level down a hole, for example.

As employers, it’s your job to ensure your workers are safe. This involves ensuring height safe systems are properly installed and maintained at your site and that your workers know how to use those systems safely. But you don’t have to do all that alone.

At Altus Safety we’re height safety specialists who can help you remain fully compliant with working at height regulations to keep your team safe. Contact us today if you need support making your site safer for workers.