With falls one of the leading causes of lost time injuries in Australia, workers and persons conducting a business or undertaking must be aware of situations where they could be considered working at heights.

One participant of our height safety courses told us of a workmate that fell into a 150mm trench and rolled his ankle, causing 2 days off work. This could have been so easily avoided with simple control measures such as an exclusion zones, signage and communication.

The Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 section 78 define working at heights as a fall by a person from one level to another that is reasonably likely to cause injury to the person or any other person.

Situations involving work at heights could include:

• working on plant or equipment that is at an elevated level
• working on a structure at an elevated level
• use of an EWP or scissor lift
• working on an asbestos roof with the potential to fall through the roof
• working close to an edge where a worker could fall
• working near window openings through which a person could fall
• working on a slippery surface which could result in the worker slipping and falling
• working on a steep surface or structure
• working on an unstable surface
• working around trenches

There are literally thousands of situations involving working at heights and with workplaces being such dynamic environments workers must be trained and competent in working safely at height. 

If you require work at heights training that is relevant to your workplace please see our heights courses.