Working at Height Risk Assessment
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Generate thorough risk assessments for working at height. Cover ladders, scaffolding, roof access, MEWPs, and edge protection requirements.
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
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What is a working at height risk assessment?
A working at height risk assessment is a documented evaluation of the risks associated with any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must avoid work at height where possible, and where it cannot be avoided, they must assess the risks and put appropriate measures in place to prevent falls.
Falls From Height Are the Biggest Killer in Construction
Working at height accounts for more workplace fatalities than any other hazard in the UK. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to assess the risks and implement appropriate control measures. But many businesses still use vague, tick-box risk assessments that don't address the specific conditions on their site. Many professionals are unsure about the legal requirements for safety documentation.
Falls from height remain the single largest cause of workplace death in the UK construction industry. HSE data consistently shows that around 40 workers are killed each year in falls from height, with many more sustaining life-changing injuries.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora generates working at height risk assessments tailored to your specific activity — whether it's roof work, scaffold erection, steel fixing, or using mobile platforms. The tool suggests relevant hazards and control measures based on the type of access equipment and the height involved. Try the RAMS generator to see how quickly you can produce professional documentation.
Who it's for
- Roofing contractors assessing height risks before starting work
- Scaffolding firms documenting erection and dismantling risks
- Facilities managers assessing risks for maintenance at height
- Construction firms aligning their documentation with the Work at Height Regulations
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
UK Legal Requirements for Risk Assessments
What the law requires for risk assessments under MHSWR 1999 and when they must be recorded.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment
When a standalone risk assessment is enough and when you need a full RAMS document.
How to Write a RAMS Document
If your risk assessment needs to be part of a RAMS, this guide covers the full structure.
What Is a RAMS Document?
Learn how risk assessments fit within the RAMS framework used across UK construction.
Construction Safety Documents Explained
An overview of the key safety documents required on UK construction sites and how they relate to each other.
Risk Assessment Legal Requirements (UK)
The legal framework behind risk assessments in the UK — what the law requires and what 'suitable and sufficient' means.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Falls from ladders, scaffolding, or roof edges
- •Collapse of scaffolding or temporary work platforms
- •Falling objects striking workers or members of the public below
- •Fragile surfaces such as roof lights, fibre cement sheets, or corroded metal decking
- •Adverse weather conditions — wind, rain, ice — affecting stability and grip
- •Inadequate edge protection or missing guardrails at open edges
What UK Law Actually Says
Direct quotes from the named regulations, with plain-English explanations of what each one means in practice.
Regulation 6(3), Work at Height Regulations 2005
“Where work is carried out at height, every employer shall take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.”
WAHR 2005 Regulation 6 sets the order of priority: avoid work at height where possible, then prevent falls with collective protection (guardrails, scaffolds, MEWPs), and only then rely on personal fall protection. The risk assessment must show this hierarchy was applied — not just listed.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →Regulation 12, Work at Height Regulations 2005
“Every employer shall ensure that, where there is a risk of any person at work falling through a fragile surface, that person does not pass across or near, or work on, from or near, a fragile surface.”
Roof lights, fibre-cement sheets, and corroded metal deck count as fragile surfaces. WAHR 2005 Reg 12 requires the risk assessment to name them, mark them, and document the staging or netting used to cross them. 'Be careful of skylights' is not a control measure.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →ACOP L23, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as applied to height work)
“Employers must avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable and, where unavoidable, assess and reduce the risk of injury.”
Manual handling at height — scaffold tubes, sheet materials, tools at the working platform — combines two regulations. The risk assessment should reference both WAHR 2005 and L23 / ACOP guidance when describing lifting plans at height.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →The Numbers Behind the Risk
Why this matters — the most recent published figures from the Health and Safety Executive and ONS.
40+ fatalities per year
Falls from height remain the single largest cause of workplace fatalities in UK construction, with HSE consistently reporting around 40 deaths per year and several thousand major injuries.
Source: HSE — Workplace fatalities statistics →27% of all construction deaths
Across recent five-year rolling averages, falls from height account for roughly a quarter of all UK construction worker fatalities — more than any other single cause.
Source: HSE — Construction industry statistics →Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1. Listing 'use a harness' without a rescue plan
Why it fails: A worker suspended in a harness after a fall is at risk of suspension trauma within minutes. WAHR 2005 Reg 4(c) makes the rescue plan a duty, not a bonus.
Fix: Name the rescue method (MEWP recovery, descender, fire service call-out time), the trained rescuer on site, and the maximum time-to-rescue assumption.
2. Treating ladders as the default access method
Why it fails: WAHR 2005 places ladders below scaffolds and MEWPs in the hierarchy. They're acceptable only when risk is low and duration is short, with that justification recorded.
Fix: If using a ladder, justify it in the assessment (short duration, light tools, three-points-of-contact possible). Otherwise specify a scaffold, tower, or MEWP.
3. No weather suspension criteria
Why it fails: MEWPs are typically rated to wind speeds around 12.5 m/s (28 mph); scaffolds depend on sheeting and design. Without named thresholds, the call gets made under commercial pressure.
Fix: Specify the wind speed, lightning distance, and rainfall criteria that trigger suspension, plus the named person responsible for the call.
Fall Distance vs Required Control — Quick Reference
WAHR 2005 doesn't set a "minimum fall height" — any fall liable to cause injury triggers the duty. The table below summarises the controls UK principal contractors typically expect for common working heights and matches the hierarchy in Reg 6.
| Working height | Typical activity | Minimum expected control | Rescue plan required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 2 m (stepladder) | Snagging, light installation | Class 1 (EN 131) ladder, three-point contact, supervisor sign-off | Not formally — but escape route required |
| 2 – 4 m | Internal finishes, glazing | Podium step or mobile tower (PASMA), no ladders for prolonged work | Yes — site first-aider on standby |
| 4 – 8 m | Cladding, M&E first-fix at height | Scaffold with double guardrail + toe-board, or MEWP with harness/lanyard | Yes — named recovery method |
| 8 m+ | Steel erection, roofing, structural | Engineered scaffold + nets / soft landing, or twin-lanyard harness with rescue MEWP on site | Yes — written rescue plan, drill recorded |
Sources: WAHR 2005; HSE INDG401 (Working at height: a brief guide); PASMA Code of Practice. Original synthesis for documentation use — confirm against project-specific design.
Key Features
- Height-specific hazard libraries
- Control measures for different access equipment
- Edge protection and fall arrest presets
- Rescue plan templates
- Download to PDF
- Link to full RAMS documents
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Description of the work at height activity
- Height and location details
- Type of access equipment (scaffold, MEWP, ladder, etc.)
- Hazard identification specific to the height and method
- Control measures — edge protection, fall arrest, exclusion zones
- Rescue plan in the event of a fall
- Competence and training requirements
- Weather assessment and suspension criteria
- Review date and responsible person
Common Questions Before Getting Started
Will this take long?
Under 5 minutes. Select your trade, pick hazards, download.
Is it complicated?
No training needed. The guided builder walks you through every step.
Do I need experience?
If you know what work you're doing, you can use Riskora.
Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, DOCX, sign-off and higher limits.
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All documents generated by Riskora should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site. Riskora provides structured templates — professional judgement is always required.
"No working at height risk assessment is complete without a rescue plan — preventing the fall is only half the duty."
What your RAMS actually contains
Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.
Hazards
Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old RAMS.
Controls
Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.
PPE
PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.
Method steps
Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.
Emergency arrangements
First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.
COSHH prompts
Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.
Sign-off
Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.
Version history
Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.
Approval status
Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.
Audit trail
Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.
From copied-and-pasted to site-specific
The reason RAMS get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.
Generic template copied from an old job.
- • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
- • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
- • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
- • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.
- • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
- • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
- • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
- • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
From job details to signed-off document
A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.
- 1Paste job details
Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.
- 2Riskora structures the document
Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.
- 3Review, edit and download
You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.
- 4Brief the team and record sign-off
Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.
Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites
Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.
- Built for contractors, consultants and teams
Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow. - Supports multiple countries
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard. - Not just documents
Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
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References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
Create your working at height RAMS free — preview before sign-up
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.