Work at height
The Work at Height Regulations (2005) define work at height as:
- work in any place, including a place at or below ground level;
- obtaining access to or egress from such place while at work, except by a staircase in a permanent workplace,
where, if measures required by the regulations were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
In February 2019, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height published Staying Alive: Preventing Serious Injury and Fatalities while Working at Height calling for a more robust system of reporting workplace falls, overseen by an independent body and with financial penalties for breaches.
In November 2019, the Access Industry Forum published Safety Steps, working at height guidance.
Articles about working at height on Designing Buildings include:
- BS 7883.
- BS 7883 guide released.
- Collective restraint system.
- CONIAC produces essential messages on safe work at height.
- Crane regulations.
- Dynamic self-retracting lanyard.
- Facade access equipment.
- Facade cleaning.
- Facade maintenance.
- Fall arrest system.
- Fall prevention system.
- FASET (Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training).
- Glazier.
- How to remove scaffolding.
- How to use a ladder.
- Lift table.
- Lifting device.
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER).
- Lifting platform.
- Lifts
- Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs).
- Post lift.
- Roped access for conservation projects.
- Safety systems for working at heights.
- Scaffolding.
- Scissor lift.
- The Importance of Working at Height Training.
- Types of crane.
- Types of scaffolding.
- Working at height - our duty to prevent harm and protect each other.
- Work at height checklist for managers.
- Work at height regulations.
- Work at height rescue plan.
- Working at height training.
- Working platform.
- Working platforms for tracked plant: good practice guide to the design, installation, maintenance and repair of ground-supported working platforms.
Featured articles and news
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief exoplanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.




















