What is working at heights and what does the law say?
Many industries work at heights and come under height regulations. For instance, industries where there is loading and unloading of trucks and other vehicles, commercial and domestic construction, telecommunications, electrical energy providers. In these and many other industries falls can and do occur.

Regulations in most states specify a particular level or height at which risk should be assessed, and they do not apply until that level or height has been reached; however, under your workplace safety legislation, there is a general duty to provide a safe workplace; thus it is an employer’s duty to control risk at any height or level.   

There is a hierarchy of control options for prevention of falls beginning at the most preferred to least preferred. The best controls protect everybody and not just one person. For instance, if the work can be performed at ground or floor level then it should be done there, and installing a fence or scaffold around a roof perimeter would be far more preferred than a fall arrest harness as it protects everybody in the vicinity, and yet some situations call for a harness.       

How do I assess if my height work is hazardous?
Most states have checklists you can download or print out to assist in assessing height safety. There are also relevant publications. Employees have been injured and killed at low heights and therefore all work at height should be preceded by a Job Safety Analysis or Risk assessment. 

Can I get help? 
Yes. You can download information from your regulatory authority by clicking on the links below, or you could engage an external consultant from our Business Directory to provide you with the right advice in controlling height work or train you in completing your hazard identification assessments, SWMS's,  JSA's, site safety plans or site co-ordination plans. Often they can look simple. You may also need specific training and height equipment, or need to engage professional height contractors and their equipment to perform your height work. .   

 Is there any free guidance material I can read on working at heights?

Click on the link below for useful information?

Australian Capital Territory
www.ors.act.gov.au