WORKING AT HEIGHTS

CONTENTS

Introduction 2

General safety obligations 2

Risk management 2

Workplace health and safety plans 5

Risk control measures 5

Personal fall protection 7

Access equipment 9

Work environment 15

Hazardous work 15

Australian Standards relevant to the control measures in

this document 16

DISCLAIMER
This publication contains information regarding occupational health and safety. It includes some of your obligations under
the Occupational Health and Safety legislation that SafeWork SA administers. To ensure you comply with your legal obligations
you must refer to the appropriate Acts and Regulations.
This publication may refer to legislation that has been amended or repealed. When reading this publication always refer
to the latest laws.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS Major Workplace Hazards

 INTRODUCTION
This booklet was developed as a guide to provide information on safe work practices when
working at heights.

Occupational Health, Safety and GENERAL SAFETY OBLIGATIONS

Welfare Regulations
The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986 (OHSW Act) and Occupational Health, Safety and
Welfare Regulations 1995 (OHSW Regulations) place a duty of care on employers and employees to
Prevention of falls
ensure safety in the workplace. The Regulations use the principle of hazard identification, risk assessment
DIVISION 2.13.1 (1) The purpose
of this regulation is and risk control to minimise the risk of injury in the workplace. Emphasis is placed on consultation
(a) to guard against falls that cause between all parties to achieve a safe and healthy work environment.
injuries due to the distances fallen;
and
A ‘workplace’ is defined by the OHSW Act as ‘any place (including aircraft, shop or vehicle) where an
(b) to guard against persons falling
employee works and includes any place where an employee goes while at work’.
into enclosures or containers that
contain a source of danger; and RESPONSIBILITIES
(c) to ensure safe access to elevated Employers are responsible for providing:
workplaces; and
• A safe work environment
(d) to prescribe standards that must
• Safe systems of work
be observed in relation to the
construction, maintenance and use • Safe plant and substances
of ladders; and
• Training, supervision and information
(e) to prescribe standards that must
• Welfare facilities such as first aid, amenities, etc.
be observed in relation to the
performance of maintenance work
The OHSW Act also requires employers to monitor working conditions, employee health and safety and
carried out above ground level on
permanent structures.
keep work injury records.

Self employed persons must take reasonable care to protect their own health and safety and that of any
other person – this duty includes undertaking adequate training and instruction in how to safely operate
the plant they use.

Employees are responsible for:

• Protecting their own health and safety
• Avoiding adversely affecting the health and safety of others
• Using equipment provided to protect their health and safety
• Obeying their employer’s health and safety instructions
• Complying with occupational health and safety policies
• Not endangering health and safety by alcohol use or drug consumption.

RISK MANAGEMENT
The steps of risk management are:
• identify the hazards
• assess the risks
• control the risks
• monitor and review the effectiveness of the control measures.

IDENTIFYING THE HAZARDS

Hazards must be identified prior to commencing work. There are a number of ways to identify potential
sources of injury. Selection of the most appropriate procedure to identify the hazards will depend on the
type of work processes and the hazards involved.

Consultation with workers is one of the easiest and most effective means of identifying hazards. Based
on their experience with a job, workers are usually aware of what can go wrong and why. Specialist
practitioners and representatives of industry associations, unions and government bodies may be of
assistance in gathering health and safety information relating to falls from heights.

2 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
Always consider the task to determine whether there is a risk of a person falling especially when DIVISION 2.13.1 (2) If

carrying out work: (a) a person must work

(i) in an elevated workplace from
• on a structure being constructed or being demolished which he or she could fall; or
• on fragile roofing (ii) in the vicinity of an opening
• while using access equipment through which he or she could fall;
or
• on an unstable surface
(iii) in any other place from which
• on a surface which is sloping and/or slippery he or she could fall, and it is
• near an unprotected edge or opening. reasonably foreseeable that the
person would be injured in such a
fall due to the distance of the fall;
ASSESSING THE RISK
or
Risk assessment allows appropriate control measures to be developed. (b) a person must work in the vicinity
of an enclosure or container into
Once hazards have been identified, they should be assessed in terms of their risks to incur an injury.
which he or she could fall and there
is a reasonable likelihood that the
To assess risk, consideration should be given to the:
person would be injured in such a
• likelihood that injury will occur fall, reasonable protection against a
fall must be provided;
• severity of the injury should it occur.
(c) by the provision of a safe means of
Various techniques can be used to carry out a risk assessment. The ‘Risk Assessment Calculator’ is an access to the workplace; and
example of one technique that can be used to assess risk. (d) by the provision of secure fences,
covers or other forms of
Factors to consider when assessing the likelihood and severity of risk that may cause a person to safeguarding or, if that is not
fall include: reasonably practicable due to the
nature of the work, by the provision
• condition of the work surface e.g. an uneven surface or a surface with unprotected edges which and maintenance of safe systems
are not identified or are difficult to see of work.

• bad weather conditions e.g. heavy rain or wind

• number of people who may be at risk
• location of the work area
• location of access routes
• type of work to be carried out
• work practices in use
• scheduling of work
• type of plant, machinery and equipment to be used
• training and experience of the people carrying out the work
• sudden acceleration or deceleration
• moving from one surface to another
• capability of the surface to support the load
• change of levels
• loss of hand grip
• type of footwear
• equipment, tools, or rubbish obstructing work areas
• incorrect use of ladders
• clothing ‘catching’
• moving surfaces
• lighting
• likelihood of being struck by a moving or falling object.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 3
 CONTROLLING THE RISK
Upon completion of hazard identification and risk assessment, ensure that risks are eliminated or
minimised. To achieve this, implement the following controls in the order set out below:

• eliminate the hazard e.g. work on the ground where possible

• minimise the risk
- substitute a work method or process with a less hazardous one e.g. using walkways for access
instead of using ladders
- isolate the hazard e.g. using a physical barrier
- modify the system of work or equipment e.g. by using a travel restraint
• provide ‘back-up’ controls
- adopt administrative controls so the time or conditions of exposure to the risk is reduced
- use personal protective equipment.

MONITORING AND REVIEWING CONTROL MEASURES

The risk management process requires regular monitoring to ensure the control measures that have been
implemented have performed as intended. Regular reviewing also ensures that the risk management
process continues to prevent or adequately control the risk of injury from falls from heights.

A written record that details when control measures were last reviewed should be kept.

The Risk Assessment Calculator is a technique/tool that can be used to undertake a risk assessment.
It is intended as a quick guide to identify the level of risk.

To use the Risk Assessment Calculator:

• Select the appropriate point on the probability scale.

• Select the appropriate point on the exposure scale.
• Draw a line between the points chosen on the probability and exposure scales. Extend the line so that
it intersects with the tie line.
• Select the appropriate point on the possible consequence scale.
• Draw a line from the point on the tie line to the point on the possible consequence line. Extend the
line to the risk score scale.
The risk score obtained can then be used to make a judgement about whether the level of risk is
acceptable or not. However, the risk score should only be used as a basis for reasoned judgement about
a risk. It should be interpreted with caution, as it has certain limitations. For example, it is not possible to
describe complex human behaviour by numerical means.

4 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
 DIVISION 2.13.1 (5) In determining the
WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY PLANS appropriate system of work for the purposes
A workplace health and safety plan is a tool that can be used to manage workplace health and safety. of subregulation (2)(d), consideration must
be given to
A workplace health and safety plan should be prepared by a principal contractor at a construction (a) if a safe working platform cannot
workplace (for the workplace) and by an employer or self-employed person carrying out specified work reasonably be provided, the use of a
(for the work). safety harness or a pole safety belt
(if appropriate), attached to a secure
The plan should include: structural support (either directly or if
that is not reasonably practicable,
• hazards to health and safety from working on an elevated position, or a place from which through the use of an adequate static-
a person can fall line system);
(b) the use of a fall-arresting device (where
• assessment of the risks which may result because of the hazards
appropriate);
• control measures to eliminate or minimise the level of risk
(c) the undertaking of training in relation to
• how the control measures are to be monitored and reviewed. the hazards that may be encountered in
the performance of
Control measures must be in place before a person starts working at heights. For example, ensure the work;
working platforms are in place before formwork is erected. (d) the provision of supervision by a
competent person;
In some circumstances more than one control measure may be necessary.
(e) the provision of assistance by another
person.

RISK CONTROL MEASURES

DIVISION 2.13.1 (4) Any safeguarding
Physical barriers are the preferred method of preventing a person from falling from height. provided for the purposes of subregulation
(2)(d) must be kept in good condition and
Examples of physical barriers include:
must not be removed except so far as may
be necessary to allow the access or egress
• edge protection systems
of any person or the shifting of materials.
• fall protection covers.
DIVISION 2.13.1 (6) Without derogating
from a preceding provision of this
Edge protection systems are barriers erected around the edge of a building, structure or hole.
regulation, if
An edge protection system may consist of guard railing or vertical containment sheeting.
(a) a person carries out maintenance work
Guard rail systems should be used on the edge of: on a structure; and
(b) the person must work in an elevated
• working platforms workplace; and
• walkways (c) it is reasonably foreseeable that the
person would be injured if he or she fell
• stairways
due to the distance of the fall,
• ramps reasonable protection against any fall
• landings. must be provided
(d) by the use of a building maintenance
A guard rail should run parallel to the working surface and not be further than 100 mm outside the unit installed by a competent person; or
edge of the working surface. The guard rail height should be between 900 mm and 1100 mm above (e) by the use of scaffolding or another type
the working surface. of working platform; or
(f) if compliance with paragraph (d) or (e) is
Guard rails must have mid rails and toe boards. A mid rail is a structural member secured midway not reasonably practicable by the use of
between the guardrail and the working surface. It should run parallel to the working surface and be a safety harness attached to a safety line
no further than 100 mm outside the edge of the working surface. that is in turn attached to an appropriate
anchorage (taking into account the
Both the guard rail and the mid rail should be situation of the work and the
able to withstand the impact of a person construction of the building).

falling against them.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 5
 A toe board is a vertical barrier used in conjunction with guard rails and mid rails to prevent a person or
objects from falling under the guard rail. Toe boards may be fully sheeted with timber or metal.
They should be secured adjacent to the work surface and extend a minimum of 150 mm above the
work surface.

Fall protection covers are a protective structure placed over holes and openings to prevent falls.
All holes and openings through which a person can fall must have fall protection covers in place.

A cover should be capable of supporting the

impact of a person falling onto it. Fall protection
covers are usually sheeted with:

• solid sheeting (timber, plywood or metal) or

• mesh.

Holes or openings covered with wire mesh should

not be used as a working platform.

All covers should be securely fixed around the

hole. Signs should also be attached to the cover
to warn people that there is a hole underneath.
For example, metal mesh is spread on top of
purlins or battens to provide fall protection for
roof installers from falling between the purlins or
battens.

6 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
 DIVISION 2.13.1 (7) A safety harness or
PERSONAL FALL PROTECTION
line supplied or used for the purposes of
Systems of work and equipment that secure a person to a building or structure are known as personal this regulation must be inspected on a
fall protection. regular basis and a harness or line that
shows wear or weakness to an extent
Personal fall protection systems should be used to minimise the risk of: that may affect the integrity of the
harness or line must not be used.
• a person falling from a height (travel restraint devices) DIVISION 2.13.1 (8) An anchorage
• injury to a person after they have fallen from height (fall-arrest systems). or system of anchorages must be
inspected on a regular basis and,
Personal fall protection may be required to be used in conjunction with other fall protection systems. in the case of an anchorage that is
permanently fixed to a structure,
• Personal fall protection discussed in this section includes travel restraint devices and fall arrest at least once in every six months.
systems. DIVISION 2.13.1 (9) If the load-bearing
capacity of the anchorage
The use of these systems requires appropriate training to ensure the equipment is worn, attached and
may be impaired, the anchorage must
used in the correct way. immediately be made inoperable so
as to prevent accidental use.
A travel restraint device prevents a person from reaching an unprotected edge by tethering them to
an eye-bolt or other suitable anchorage point. This type of personal fall protection system is preferred
over those that arrest a person after they have fallen.

Generally, the system consists of a safety belt or harness that is connected by a lanyard to a suitable
anchorage point or static line. The system must be set up to prevent the wearer from reaching the edge.

Where a temporary roof anchor is used as an anchorage for a travel restraint system, it must be installed
in accordance with the manufacturer’s or designer’s instructions. The roof or other building component
to which an anchor will be attached must be checked by a competent person to verify that it is suitable
for supporting the anchor. It is preferable that travel restraint systems are used in conjunction with other
fall prevention methods, such as guardrails, safety nets and catch platforms.The anchorage points
should be capable of taking the load.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 7
 A fall-arrest system is designed to arrest the fall of a person.

The following points describe the different components of a fall-arrest system:

• A fall-arrest harness is an assembly of interconnected shoulder and leg straps, with or without a body
belt designed to spread the load over the body and to prevent the wearer from falling out of the
assembly.
• A lanyard is a line used, usually as part of a lanyard assembly, to connect a fall-arrest harness to an
anchorage point or static line.
• A lanyard assembly consists of a lanyard and a personal energy absorber.
• The lanyard assembly should be as short as practicable and the working slack length not more than
2 m under a free fall condition.
Types of fall-arrest systems:
• Where there is a risk of a free fall up to 2 m, a fall-arrest harness connected to a lanyard assembly
and attached to a fall-arrest static line or an anchorage point
• Where there is a risk of a free fall of not more than 600 mm, a ladder belt connected to a lanyard of
not more than 300 mm in length attached to a ladder fall-arrest device.

An important factor in the safe use of a fall-arrest

system is to reduce the free fall distance as far as
possible. Correctly installed fall-arrest equipment will
only safely arrest a fall if there are no obstructions in
the fall path. The longer the free fall distance, the
greater the risk of the person hitting obstructions.
Before a fall-arrest system is used, the work area
should be inspected to ensure there are no
obstructions in the potential fall path. Any
obstruction should be removed from the fall
path area.

In the event of a person falling, immediate action

should be taken to retrieve the person.

Fall-arrest harnesses, lanyards and static lines provide a satisfactory degree of fall protection provided the
following points are taken into account:

• Persons should be properly trained and supervised in the use of the equipment.
• Persons using fall protection such as a fall-arrest harness, should not work in isolation.
• A lanyard assembly should be as short as possible and the working slack length not more than 2 m
when used in conjunction with a fall-arrest system to minimise the pendulum effect (belaying).
• The fall-arrest anchorage point (fixed or travelling on static lines) should be located so that the
lanyard can be attached before the user moves into a position where he or she would be at risk from
a fall. Anchorage points should have a capacity of 15 kN.
• The components of a fall-arrest system should be compatible. The use of non-compatible
components could lead to ineffective equipment that presents a risk of injury from falling to the
person using the equipment.

A work positioning harness may be used with a short lanyard to restrict free fall to less than 600 mm.

Refer to AS 1891.4 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices – Selection, use and maintenance for the
selection of an appropriate fall-arrest system.

(Note: Any fall-arrest system must be installed by a certified person and in accordance with
AS/NZS1891 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices – Fall-arrest systems.)

8 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
Catch platform and safety nets should only be used where it is not possible to provide any more
reliable means of fall protection. For example, the erection of physical barriers or personal protection
systems.

A catch platform is a temporary platform located below a work area to catch a person after they have
fallen. It should be of robust construction and designed for the potential impact of the load.

A safety net must be installed as close as possible to the underside of the work area, but not in contact
with the surface. The safety net must cover an area extending beyond the work area.

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
Footwear that minimises the risk of slipping should be worn when working where there is a risk of falls
from heights. Consideration should be given to the surface being worked on. For example, a surface
slippery from wet conditions.

A safety helmet should be attached securely to the person’s head so that it remains in place should the
person be arrested by fall protection equipment during a fall.

ACCESS EQUIPMENT
WORK PLATFORM
Work platforms provide a permanent or temporary surface for people to carry out work.

The platform should be secured against a structure for stability and be installed with an edge protection
system. The surface of the working platform should be of a size and strength to safely support the
tools, materials and people who may be working on it. The surface should be non-slip, free from trip
hazards and traps and of an easily negotiable gradient. Safe access and egress must be provided to the
work platform.

The appropriate reference standards for a fixed platform are:

• AS 1657 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders - Design, construction and installation and
for temporary platforms
• AS 1576 Scaffolding
• AS 4576 Guidelines for scaffolding.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 9
 ELEVATING WORK PLATFORM
Elevating work platforms (EWPs) are available in a variety of types and sizes for most work situations.
They are generally of the boom type, scissor lifts and vertical mast. The use of EWPs should be guided
by AS 2550.10 Cranes-Safe Use-Elevating work platform.

Operators working on an EWP must wear a safety harness. The harness must arrest the fall before the
user strikes the ground.

For boom type EWPs where the boom length is 11 m or more, the operator must hold an OHS
Certificate of Competency.

ORDER PICKING FORKLIFT TRUCKS

Order picking forklift trucks are the preferred method of personal access and handling of materials
where stock picking is required.

This plant is designed for use on flat level surfaces and must not be used on rough terrain. They are
common in warehouses where stock picking is required.

Any work carried out on a forklift truck in an elevated position increases the risk of fall from height. For
example:

• the stability of the forklift truck is reduced

• the vision of the operator may be obscured e.g. from surrounding shelving.

Depending on the situation, a safety harness may be required to reduce the risk of a fall from height.

SCAFFOLDS
Scaffolds are erected to provide a temporary work platform for undertaking a variety of tasks.

Working platforms on scaffolds are generally rated as light, medium or heavy duty.

• Light duty – up to 225 kg per bay. This is suitable for plastering, painting, electrical work and other
light tasks.
• Medium duty – up to 450 kg per bay. This is suitable for general trades work e.g. building
maintenance.
• Heavy duty – up to 675 kg per bay. This is required while performing bricklaying, concreting,
demolition work and most other work involving heavy loads.
Any scaffold from which a person could fall more than 4 m must be erected by a certified scaffolder.

10 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
FORKLIFT WORK PLATFORMS
These are used to elevate personnel for various working activities, using the lifting ability of a forklift or
similar industrial truck. A work platform is specially designed for mounting on the elevating device of a
high lift fork-truck for the purpose of providing a safe working place for personnel.

Many serious accidents and injuries occur when people fail to use a correctly designed work platform, or
if they use it in an inappropriate manner. These occur either from falls or being trapped by moving parts
of the forklift elevating system. Standing on the forklift tynes, on pallets or in unsuitable stillages, are
common causes of falls from height.

Design and construction of working platforms must be manufactured in accordance with AS 2359
Powered industrial trucks and the safe work procedures must also comply with this Standard and the
OHSW Regulations.

• Work platforms must be provided with duplicate, independent locks to securely attach the platform
to the forklift and be clearly visible to personnel in the platform.
• The work platform must be designed only to be located on the forklift in the correct position.
• Work platforms must have a slip resistant floor surface not larger than 1200 mm x 1200 mm, with
100 mm high toeboards on all sides.
• The front and sides must have guard rails at least 900 mm high with a back guard 2000 mm high
with a mesh infill barrier to prevent access to any moving parts of the forklift lifting mechanism.
• The self-closing access gate must be sliding or inward opening, and be securely fastened while in use.
• A warning notice visible to personnel in the work platform must be attached to identify the load
weight limit and the two person load limit.

SAFE USE OF WORK PLATFORMS

• Forklift operators must be assessed as competent by a registered assessor or have proof of
training/experience.
• The work platform must be secured to the forklift.
• The operator of the forklift must remain seated at the controls of the forklift at all times while
personnel are elevated in the work platform.
• No more than two people are to be lifted in a work platform.
• Personnel must remain in the work platform during raising or lowering and must not be moved from
place to place other than for small positional adjustments.
• The load capacity of the platform must not exceed 250 kg. Unless the type and design of the forklift
is manufactured in accordance with AS 2359 Powered industrial trucks and the appropriate hazard
identification and risk assessment has been done.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 11
12 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS SYSTEM DIVISION 2.13.1 (3) If a person at
work must gain access to a place that
An industrial rope access system is a twin rope system used to provide access to a work area. A work
cannot be reached conveniently from
positioning harness or seat is attached to one rope and a fall-arrest harness is attached to the other floor or ground level, and no
rope. The system should be used in accordance with the designer’s and/or the manufacturer’s appropriate means of mechanical
instructions. access or fixed stairway is available,
a suitable ladder or steps must be
provided.
LADDERS
DIVISION 2.13.1 (10) The following
Ladders should be designed in accordance with: requirements must be observed in
relation to the use of ladders at work,
• AS 1892.1 Portable ladders Part 1 - Metal
or to gain access to or egress from a
• AS 1892.2 Portable ladders Part 2 - Timber workplace

• AS 1657 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders - Design, construction and installation. (a) a ladder must be of sound
construction and maintained in a
Portable ladders must be rated at not less than 120 kg capacity, and be marked ‘industrial’. safe condition; and
(b) a ladder must not be used in a
Portable step-ladders should:
manner that endangers the safety
• not be used on working platforms to gain height above the protected edge, for example next to of any person; and

floors with penetrations or the edge of the floor **********

(d) if a portable single ladder or
• only be used in the fully opened position
extension ladder is used, the ladder
• be of a length that ensures a person’s feet are not positioned any higher than the second top rung. must be
(i) placed so that the horizontal
distance between the top support
point of the ladder and the foot of
the ladder is approximately one
quarter of the supported length of
the ladder; and
(ii) located on a firm footing and
effectively secured in position to
prevent slipping and sideways
movement; and
(e) no ladder other than a trestle ladder
may be used to support planks for a
working platform, and any such
platform may only be used for light
duty work.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 13
 Portable single and extension ladders should be:

• pitched at a slope of 1 horizontal to 4 vertical

• extend 900 mm above the last surface where a person can gain access and should not be used:
- in access areas or within the arc of swinging doors
- on working platforms to gain height above the protected edge
- to support a work platform.

If a series of ladders are used to gain access to an elevated work position, landing platforms should be
provided at every 6 m interval. The ladder should be secured against movement and supported from a
firm, level, non-slip surface.

Fall-arrest systems should be used by persons using a ladder as a working surface.

Portable trestle ladders should only be used when

carrying out light work e.g. painting and should only
be used in the fully opened position. Trestle ladders
should not be used where a person can fall 4 m
or more.

Fixed ladders are vertical or near vertical ladders fixed

to a structure. Rung ladders should have ladder
cages or persons using the ladder should use
fall-arrest systems. A ladder cage or fall-arrest system
must be provided if a person can fall more than 6 m.

14 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
WORK ENVIRONMENT
LIGHTING
Lighting at the workplace should be not less than:

• 200 lux for a working area

• 50 lux for stairs or other areas providing access to a working area.

HOUSEKEEPING
Materials, tools and equipment on working platforms should be stored so as to leave at least 450 mm
clear access.

WEATHER CONDITIONS
Exposure to the weather should be given consideration when establishing the area for an access way.
For example, rain may make surfaces slippery or strong winds may cause loss of balance.

WARNING SIGNS
Warning signs should be erected to warn persons of the risk of falling from a height. The signs should
be positioned where they will be clearly visible to persons working in the area.

HAZARDOUS WORK
WORKING ON FRAGILE ROOFING
The OHSW Act and Regulations provide for specific safety measures to be taken when working on
fragile roofing.

Signs must be fixed to the walls of buildings where access can be made to fragile roofs. These signs
should be made of sheet metal or other approved material that is at least 600 mm by 450 mm with
wording and layout as shown.

Ensure that persons who are required to work on fragile roofing are aware of the dangers of standing
or treading on unprotected fragile roofing.

Any person required to be on a roof covered with fragile roofing materials must use the walkways and
crawl boards provided. Serious accidents and fatalities have occurred where workers have been misled by
the appearance of roof coverings that appear more solid than they are. This is most likely to occur if the
roof is discoloured with age, by weathering or from being painted.

This false sense of security may be reinforced by the fact that the roof takes a substantial distributed
load, and therefore gives the impression that it will bear the weight of a worker. However, a
concentrated load such as that applied by the heel of a person walking or by a person stumbling and
falling, and the weight of the tools and equipment a worker may carry must also be taken into account.

Fragile roofing materials fracture without warning, leaving jagged edges that can cause injury, even
though wire mesh may be fitted. Experience has shown breakages occur so rapidly that a person falling
through fragile roofing materials such as asbestos cement sheeting have no opportunity to save
themselves.

If you are unsure whether safety mesh is fitted, then

consider the roof as unmeshed and dangerous.

Walking is not permitted on fragile roofing unless

crawl boards or grids are used.

Alternatively, planks should be laid across the full

pitch of the roof and in the box gutters to provide
lengthwise access. Suitable footwear must be worn
when working on or near fragile roofs to avoid
slipping.

WORKING AT HEIGHTS 15
 EXAMPLES OF WORK PRACTICES THAT CAN CAUSE A PERSON TO FALL:
• Work being done on or near fragile surfaces such as skylights, badly rusted corrugated iron or
fibreglass roofs, with no guarding, safety mesh, catch platforms, or alternative fall protection
measures in place.
• Boom-type elevating work platforms such as cherry pickers, travel towers, boom lifts etc being used
with no secure line and safety harness in place connecting the worker to the basket to reduce the risk
of a fall from the basket.
• Maintenance work such as gutter clearing, painting or roof restoration being done from a roof when
there is no guarding or fall protection measures used.
• Work being done from the bucket on a front end loader or tractor or from a pallet lifted by a fork-lift.
• No guarding, railing or signage around holes, pits or shafts.
• Unsecured, loose or incomplete scaffolds or railing in a place near to where workers are working or
likely to work in the near future.
• Truck tarps being fitted by climbing across a load with no fall prevention measures being used.
• Working from the top of livestock carriers without any fall prevention measures like guard rails.
• Where ropes, harnesses and lanyards are being used for fall protection, the equipment is not checked
regularly and before use. The equipment shows evidence of either rust, decay, cracks, knots, frays or
a combination of these. The equipment used in the system is not designed for the job. Anchorage
points used are inadequate in terms of location, strength and with no regard for effect of a fall e.g.
no regard for the pendulum effect if someone falls.
• Ladders are being set up on slippery or uneven surfaces and not secured to prevent them slipping
forwards, backwards or sideways.

The examples above do not cover all situations or work practices that could result in a fall. It is important
to always carry out a risk assessment prior to performing any work at height.

AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS RELEVANT TO THE CONTROL

MEASURES IN THIS DOCUMENT
• AS/NZS 1576 Scaffolding
• AS 1657 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders - Design, construction and installation
• AS 1801 Industrial safety helmets
• AS/NZS 1891 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices
• AS 1892 Portable ladders
• AS/NZS 2210 Occupational protective footwear
• AS 2359 Powered industrial trucks
• AS 2550 Cranes - Safe use
• AS/NZS 4576 Guidelines for scaffolding

SafeWork SA acknowledge and thank WorkSafe Victoria for their contribution above ‘Examples of
work practices that can cause a person to fall’.

16 WORKING AT HEIGHTS
SAFEWORK SA
HELP AND EARLY INTERVENTION CENTRE
100 Waymouth Street, Adelaide
HELP CENTRE
Telephone: 1300 365 255 or (08) 8303 0400 for
mobile and interstate callers
Email: help@safework.sa.gov.au
To report all serious workplace accidents and incidents
telephone 1800 777 209 (24 hour service)
LIBRARY
Telephone: (08) 8204 8877
Facsimile: (08) 8204 8883
Email: library@safework.sa.gov.au
BOOKSHOP
Telephone: (08) 8204 8881 or (08) 8204 8882
Facsimile: (08) 8204 8883
Email: bookshop@safework.sa.gov.au
Opening hours from 8.30am - 5.30pm,
Monday to Friday (the Help Centre
closes at 4.15pm on Wednesdays)
HEAD OFFICE
Level 3, 1 Richmond Road, Keswick
GPO Box 465, Adelaide, SA 5001
DX 715, Adelaide

COUNTRY OFFICES
BERRI
30 Kay Avenue, Berri
PO Box 346, Berri SA 5343
Telephone: (08) 8595 2199
MOUNT GAMBIER
Level 1, 11 Helen Street, Mount Gambier
PO Box 871, Mount Gambier SA 5290
Telephone: (08) 8735 1199
PORT LINCOLN
73-75 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln
PO Box 2862, Port Lincoln SA 5606
Telephone: (08) 8688 3057
PORT PIRIE
Level 1, 104 Florence Street, Port Pirie
PO Box 462, Port Pirie SA 5540
Telephone: (08) 8638 4777
WHYALLA
15-17 Horwood Street, Whyalla
PO Box 696, Whyalla SA 5600
Telephone: (08) 8648 8733

To speak to SafeWork SA in a language other than

English, contact the Interpreting and Translating
Centre on (08) 8226 1990 and ask them to contact
SafeWork SA. This interpreting service is available at
no cost to you.

www.safework.sa.gov.au

This product is printed on recycled Australian made paper

©
0071

Government of South Australia, 2006