Working at height risk assessment template
A working at height risk assessment, already filled in with the hazards, controls and equipment choices for ladders, towers, MEWPs and open edges. Edit it for your job, then brief it.
- Law
- Work at Height Regulations 2005
- Ladders
- Low risk and short duration
- Format
- Editable PDF and Word
- Cost
- Free, always
Do you need a risk assessment for working at height?
Yes, any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury needs a risk assessment, whatever the height. Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 sets the duty. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 say the measures must take account of it.
The assessment follows the order the law sets. Avoid work at height where the job can be done safely from the ground. Where it cannot, prevent a fall with an existing safe place or with equipment such as a tower or MEWP. Where a fall is still possible, minimise the distance and the consequences.
A useful one is written for the task in front of you. It covers the height, how long the work takes, the ground, the edges, any fragile surfaces and how someone would be rescued. Ladders are allowed only where the assessment shows the risk is low and either the use is short or features of the site cannot be altered.
Working at height hazards and controls
14 hazards, rated before and after controlsThe significant hazards when working from ladders, towers, MEWPs and open edges, with the controls a reviewer expects to see. Delete what does not apply and add what your site has.
Falls from leaning ladders
Anyone using a leaning ladder for access or a short task.
- Ladder used only where the assessment shows low risk and short duration; as a guide, not more than 30 minutes at a time.
- Pre-use check by the user each day; ladder secured where reasonably practicable and set at 75 degrees, one out for every four up.
- Three points of contact when climbing, belt buckle kept within the stiles, and no work off the top three rungs.
BeforeHigh 16AfterMedium 8
Falls from stepladders
Operatives working from stepladders on short, light tasks.
- All four feet on firm, level ground, locking bars fully engaged, and the steps facing the work where possible.
- No standing on the top three steps unless there is a suitable handhold.
- Two feet and one hand at the work position, or two feet and the body supported by the steps for brief two-handed work.
BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 6
Falls from mobile access towers
Erectors and users, through incomplete guard-rails or while building the tower.
- Erected by PASMA-trained people to the manufacturer's instruction manual, using the advance guard-rail or through-the-trap method.
- Full guard-rails and toe boards on the working platform before work starts; access by the built-in ladder only.
- Inspected after assembly and, where a fall of 2m or more is possible on construction work, at least every 7 days.
BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5
Tower overturning or collapse
Tower users and anyone below, from missing parts, poor ground or moving it loaded.
- Stabilisers or outriggers fitted where the manual requires; castors locked; ground firm and level.
- Every component in place; no ladders or boxes on the platform to gain height.
- Never moved with people or materials on it, or in windy conditions.
BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5
Falls from a MEWP platform
People in the basket of a boom-type MEWP thrown out by a jolt, a swing or an impact.
- Operators hold a recognised training card listing the MEWP categories, such as IPAF's, and are familiarised with the model.
- In a boom-type MEWP, a full harness on a short work restraint lanyard clipped to the basket's anchor point.
- No standing on the guard-rails, no balancing materials on them, and no leaving the basket at height.
BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5
Trapping in a MEWP against a structure
MEWP operators working close to beams, ducts, soffits and other overhead obstructions.
- Route and work position checked for overhead and adjacent structures before the platform is raised.
- A MEWP with a secondary guarding device chosen where trapping is possible; extra training for confined overhead work.
- Trained person at ground level who can lower the platform with the ground controls.
BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5
MEWP overturning
Operators and people nearby, from soft ground, slopes, overloading or wind.
- Ground checked for voids, covers and soft spots; outriggers on spreader plates where the machine has them.
- Safe working load includes people, tools and materials; the overload system is never disabled.
- Wind speed checked against the machine's rating; indoor-only machines kept indoors.
BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5
Falls from open edges and flat roofs
Anyone working near roof edges, slab edges, stair voids or lift shafts.
- Edge protection with a main guard-rail at least 950mm high, an intermediate rail leaving no gap over 470mm, and toe boards.
- Edges protected before work starts; nobody removes a rail without a supervisor's say and a replacement control.
- Roof work planned with the roofing RAMS where the job is on a roof.
BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5
Falls through fragile surfaces
Anyone crossing or working near fragile roof sheets, rooflights or roof glazing.
- Work done without going on or near the fragile surface wherever reasonably practicable.
- Where it cannot be avoided, platforms, covers or guard-rails that take the load, then nets to minimise any fall.
- Prominent warning notices at the approach to every fragile surface.
BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5
Falls into openings and excavations
Operatives and others near floor openings, risers, manholes and trenches.
- Openings covered with fixed, marked covers that take the load, or guarded with rails.
- Excavation edges barriered, with a safe crossing point where people need to cross.
BeforeMedium 12AfterLow 4
Falling tools and materials
People below the work, including other trades and the public.
- Exclusion zone below the work, barriered and signed.
- Tools on lanyards at height; toe boards and brick guards where materials are stacked.
- Nothing thrown or tipped from height; materials lowered by hand, hoist or chute.
BeforeHigh 16AfterMedium 8
Overhead power lines
Anyone handling ladders, tower sections or MEWP booms near overhead lines.
- Lines identified before work; network operator contacted to make dead or divert where work is close.
- No ladder work within 6m horizontally of an overhead line unless it is dead or protected with insulation.
- Non-conductive ladders for electrical work.
BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5
Weather: wind, rain and ice
Anyone working on exposed platforms, towers, MEWPs and roofs.
- Forecast checked each morning; work stopped when weather puts health or safety at risk.
- Wind limits from the tower manual and the MEWP's rating written on the briefing.
- Platforms, rungs and steps checked for ice, water and mud before use.
BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 8
Suspension after a fall arrest
A person left hanging in a harness after a fall.
- Written rescue method for each place a harness is used, with the kit on site and the team practised in it.
- Never working alone at height; rescue started at once, without waiting for the emergency services.
- Casualty given first aid once down, and the emergency services called.
BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5
Scores are likelihood times severity on the five by five matrix in the template. They are typical ratings for this work, a starting point for your own assessment of your site.
Working at height method statement: the sequence of work
The order of work, with the controls at each stageThe order the team works in, with the controls built into each stage. If the equipment or the task changes on site, revise the assessment and brief it again.
Before the day
Survey the task: working height, duration, ground, edges, openings, fragile surfaces, overhead lines and public routes. Ask first whether the work can be done from the ground.
ControlsEquipment chosen by the hierarchy and recorded on the selection page; rescue method written.
Book the right equipment
Order the tower, MEWP or edge protection that the selection page calls for, with its manual. Check MEWP thorough examination reports and the operators' training cards.
ControlsThorough examination in date; operators familiarised with the model; tower manual on site.
Arrival and briefing
Sign in, attend the site induction, then brief the team on this assessment, the exclusion zone, the weather limits and the rescue method.
ControlsBriefing signed against this revision; training cards checked.
Check the ground and set out
Check the ground or floor where the equipment will stand for level, voids, covers and soft spots. Barrier and sign the zone below the work.
ControlsSpreader plates under outriggers where needed; public routes kept open or diverted.
Pre-use checks
Check ladders, harnesses and lanyards before use. Carry out the MEWP's daily function check and confirm the ground controls work.
ControlsDefective kit tagged and taken out of use; MEWP checks recorded.
Erect or set up access
Build the tower to the manual using the advance guard-rail or through-the-trap method. Set up edge protection or the MEWP as planned.
ControlsGuard-rails complete before the platform is used; inspection after assembly recorded.
Work at height
Carry out the task from the platform with tools on lanyards and materials kept off the guard-rails. Keep the exclusion zone in place throughout.
ControlsHarness on a short restraint lanyard in a boom MEWP; nobody works alone at height.
Changes and bad weather
Stop work if the wind passes the limit, the weather turns or the task changes. Re-inspect towers and edge protection after anything that could affect them.
ControlsPlatforms inspected at least every 7 days and after bad weather; assessment revised if the method changes.
Dismantle and clear
Lower the MEWP or strip the tower in the reverse order of the manual, lowering components by hand. Remove barriers once the last item is down.
ControlsNothing thrown; exclusion zone kept until the area is clear and handed back.
What the law asks for working at height
Checked against the sourcePlan, supervise and include rescue
Work at height must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out as safely as reasonably practicable. The plan includes emergencies and rescue, and work only goes ahead in weather that does not put people at risk.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 4Avoid, prevent, minimise
Do not work at height where the work can safely be done otherwise. Where it cannot, prevent a fall using an existing safe place or suitable equipment. Where a fall remains possible, minimise its distance and consequences.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 6Collective before personal
When choosing equipment, collective protection such as guard-rails and nets takes priority over personal protection such as a harness. The choice accounts for the conditions, the fall distance, the duration and rescue.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 7When a ladder is allowed
A ladder is used for work at height only where the risk assessment shows that more suitable equipment is not justified. The risk must be low, and either the use is short or site features cannot be altered.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Schedule 6Fragile surfaces
Nobody works on or near a fragile surface where the work can be done safely without it. Otherwise, platforms, coverings or guard-rails carry the load, and warning notices are fixed at the approach.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 9Inspection
Equipment whose safety depends on assembly is inspected in position before use. A construction working platform with a possible fall of 2m or more is inspected within the previous 7 days, and each inspection is reported in writing.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 12Competence, equipment and PPE
Competence and cards
- Planner and supervisor Competent to plan and supervise work at height, as regulation 5 requires; trainees supervised.
- Ladder users Trained in the pre-use check and safe use set out in LA455.
- Tower erectors PASMA training for the type of tower being built.
- MEWP operators Recognised training card for the MEWP category, such as IPAF's, plus familiarisation on the model.
- Harness users Trained in fitting, checking and using a harness and lanyard, and in the rescue method.
- Ground rescue Nominated people trained to lower the MEWP platform using the ground controls.
Plant and equipment
- Leaning ladders and stepladders To BS EN 131; pre-use check each day; detailed visual inspections recorded.
- Mobile access tower Built to the manual; inspected after assembly and every 7 days.
- Mobile elevating work platform Daily function check; thorough examination at least every 6 months.
- Harness and lanyard Pre-use check each day; detailed inspections recorded.
- Temporary edge protection Inspected after installation and after anything that affects it.
- Rescue kit On site, checked before work and suited to the access used.
PPE
- Safety helmet with chin strap when working at height.
- Full body harness with a short work restraint lanyard in a boom-type MEWP.
- Safety boots with a grip sole and ankle support.
- Gloves with good grip, for handling tower components and materials.
- High-visibility clothing to the site standard.
Permits and plans
A permit to work where the principal contractor's rules require one, for example for roof access or work near live services. A lift plan for any materials lifted by crane. Written agreement with the network operator where work is planned near overhead lines.
Emergency and rescue
A written rescue method for each type of access before work starts. That means trained people on the MEWP ground controls, and kit and a method to reach anyone in a harness. Rescue starts at once, without waiting for the emergency services. First aider on site and the nearest accident and emergency department named on the briefing.
Toolbox talk: working at height
Read this to the team before work starts, tick each point as it is covered, and record who attended.
- If a job can be done from the ground with a pole or a longer tool, we do it from the ground.
- Ladders are for short, light jobs. If you will be up there more than about half an hour, ask for a tower or a MEWP.
- Check your ladder, harness and lanyard before you use them. If anything is damaged, tag it and tell me.
- On a ladder, keep three points of contact and your belt buckle inside the stiles. Move the ladder rather than stretch.
- In a boom MEWP you are clipped on with a short lanyard. Never stand on the rails or climb out at height.
- Nothing is thrown down. Tools go on lanyards and the zone underneath stays closed until we are finished.
Ask the team
- Who on the ground can bring the MEWP down if the operator cannot?
- Where are the fragile roofs, openings and overhead lines on this job?
- What wind would make us stop work today?
What is in the working at height risk assessment template
9 pages, pre-filled and editableThe work, pre-filled
Scope, location and access, interfaces with other trades, the documents the assessment relies on, and the team with their training cards.
The sequence of work
Nine stages from the survey to clearing the area, with the controls and the person responsible at each one.
Hazards and controls
Fourteen working at height hazards rated before and after controls on a five by five matrix, with room for your own.
Equipment selection
A page that records each task, whether it can be done from the ground, the equipment chosen and why, fall protection and rescue.
Plant, PPE, permits and rescue
The access equipment and its checks, PPE by type, permits and plans, the rescue method and the environment section.
Briefing record
Twenty signatures against the revision, taken on the day before the work starts.
Brief it, and get it signed on the phone
On Unibuild a RAMS is written from a template, approved, then read by each operative on their phone in their own language and signed. Subcontract and agency workers sign through a link, with no app to install.
Every signature carries its date and time and prints as the last page of the RAMS PDF. Change the RAMS and it has to be signed again.
How RAMS work on UnibuildWorking at height risk assessment questions
Is this working at height risk assessment template free?
Is there a minimum height for working at height?
How long can you work on a ladder?
Do you need a harness in a MEWP?
Who can put up a mobile tower scaffold?
How often does access equipment need inspecting?
Do I need a rescue plan for working at height?
Does working at height need a full RAMS or just a risk assessment?
RAMS templates for other trades and hazards
All free, pre-filled and editableBy trade
- Electrical RAMSSafe isolation, live work, testing and inspection, and working near other trades.
- Scaffolding RAMSErecting, altering and dismantling tube and fitting and system scaffold, with handover and inspection.
- Roofing RAMSPitched and flat roofs, fragile surfaces, edge protection, hot work and getting materials up safely.
- Groundworks RAMSExcavations, buried services, plant, trench support and inspections at the start of each shift.
- Plumbing and heating RAMSSoldering and brazing, gas work, unvented systems, lofts and occupied homes.
- Painting and decorating RAMSAccess equipment, solvents and spray, old lead paint, dust from preparation and occupied buildings.
- Hot works and welding RAMSWelding, cutting, grinding and torch-on work: permits, fire watch, fume and gas cylinders.
By hazard
- COSHH risk assessmentHazardous substances on site: dusts, solvents, cement, resins and fume, assessed and controlled.
- Manual handling risk assessmentLifting, carrying, pushing and pulling, assessed by task, individual, load and environment.
- Working at height risk assessmentLadders, towers, MEWPs, scaffolds and roofs, chosen and controlled in the order the law sets.
- Lone working risk assessmentPeople working alone on site, in empty buildings and out of hours, with check-ins and a plan if they go quiet.
- Noise and vibration risk assessmentNoise exposure and hand-arm vibration from tools, measured against the action and limit values.
- Asbestos risk assessmentFinding asbestos before work starts, deciding whether work is licensed, and controlling non-licensed work.
- Confined space risk assessmentManholes, tanks, voids and chambers: avoiding entry, a safe system of work, gas testing and rescue.
The blank RAMS template, the RAMS review checklist and every other free form are on Free downloads.
The RAMS, read and signed
before the work starts.
Unibuild keeps every RAMS with its versions, its approvals and each operative’s signature against the revision they read, for seven years, ready for the principal contractor or an auditor.