Working at Height
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Last reviewed
Working at height is any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury — there is no minimum height under UK law.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must avoid work at height where reasonably practicable, prevent falls where it cannot be avoided, and minimise the consequences of a fall where prevention is not possible.
The hierarchy is: avoid, then prevent (collective measures such as guarded scaffolds and MEWPs first, personal measures such as harnesses second), then minimise (collective fall arrest such as airbags first, personal fall arrest such as inertia reels second).
Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of fatal injury to UK construction workers each year.
Why it matters
Most fatal falls in UK construction happen at low heights — under 4 metres — and from ladders, fragile roofs and unprotected leading edges. The legal threshold for 'work at height' starts wherever a fall could injure.