Working at Height
Course Overview
This course is aimed at anyone who undertakes work at height, or who employs people who regularly work at height. It covers what constitutes work at height, the safety issues, and how to assess and reduce some of the risks.
Important note: Please note that this is an awareness course only, if your duties include working at height you will also need further practical training, you can get in touch with us to arrange this.
Course Content
The crucial thing to understand about work at height is that it's not how far you climb, it's how far you can fall. That covers everything from working on a stepladder to working alongside a deep trench. It's also not limited to people falling: if tools, materials or equipment fall from height, that presents an equally serious hazard to anyone below.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 confer legal duties on employers and employees to assess, control and minimise the risks of working at height. The regulations set out a hierarchy that must be worked through in order:
1. Avoid work at height wherever it's reasonably practicable to do so, for example by carrying out the task from ground level instead.
2. Prevent falls where the work can't be avoided, using existing safe places of work or the right equipment, such as guard rails or a properly erected tower.
3. Mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall where the risk can't be eliminated, using equipment like nets, airbags or personal fall protection.
Getting this hierarchy right, in this order, is the core of legal compliance and the main thing our course teaches.
The course covers the main categories of equipment used for work at height, and the situations each is suited to:
- Ladders – suitable for light, short-duration tasks, with correct pre-use checks and the 3-point contact rule.
- Scaffolding and towers – for larger or longer-duration jobs, requiring competent erection and inspection.
- Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) – powered platforms for reaching height safely, requiring specific operator training.
- Harnesses and fall arrest systems – used where other controls can't fully prevent a fall, requiring correct fitting and anchor points.
Work at height equipment must be inspected before use and at regular intervals to remain safe and compliant. The course also covers the importance of having a rescue plan in place before work begins: if someone falls while using a harness, they need to be reached and lowered quickly, since suspension trauma can set in within minutes.
Anyone who works at height, or who supervises or manages people who do, needs training under the regulations. This includes construction and maintenance staff, cleaners working on external areas, warehouse staff using MEWPs, and facilities teams carrying out routine roof or gutter access. Employers have a duty to ensure this training is in place before work begins, not after an incident.
By the end of the course, you'll be able to:
- Understand what constitutes work at height and why it's a leading cause of workplace injury
- Apply the avoid, prevent, mitigate hierarchy required under the Work at Height Regulations 2005
- Identify the main types of work at height equipment and where each is appropriate
- Recognise inspection requirements and the importance of rescue planning
- Assess and reduce the risks associated with a work at height task
Course Duration
105 mins
Course Certification
Approved by CPD, Gatehouse Awards & IIRSM
