PCL Consulting
Health and Safety Consultantsprovide
a cost effective range of
services which include Risk Assessment, Health and Safety Policy ,
Manual Handling Training, Computer
Health and Safety , Fire Risk
Assessment and Competent advisor services to support your business in
meeting current health and safety legislation.
This Page is Sponsored
by PCL Consulting Health and Safety Consultants
HSE press release
E049:05 - 06 April 2005
HSE launches
work at height regulations - a brief guide
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
today launches a brief guide to the Work at Height Regulations. The
guide outlines what people must do to comply with the Regulations,
which come into effect on 6 April.
Dr Elizabeth Gibby, Director of HSE’s
Injuries Reduction Programme, said: “This guidance is aimed principally
at small businesses and those not familiar with the Work at Height
Regulations. It gives an excellent short introduction to the new
Regulations and how to work at height safely.”
“Some in the construction industry
are concerned about what the Regulations mean for standards of work
above two metres. These Regulations are aimed at maintaining and
improving standards for all work at height. Standards for work above
two metres will not change, they are simply being extended to work at
any height.”
The Work at Height
Regulations 2005 – a brief guide is available on the HSE
website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf.
It will also be available free from HSE Books (see Notes to Editors).
Notes to Editors
This guide outlines the requirements of the Work at Height
Regulations 2005 and what employers and those who work at height must
do to comply.
HSE is committed to being a good partner – working with others to
improve health and safety. It will be working with sectors involved in
work at height to communicate the following key messages about the
Regulations and working at height safely:
those following good practice for work at height now should
already be doing enough to comply with these Regulations;
follow the risk assessments you have carried out for work at
height activities and make sure all work at height is planned,
organised and carried out by competent persons;
follow the hierarchy for managing risks from work at height -
take steps to avoid, prevent or reduce risks; and
choose the right work equipment and select collective
measures to prevent falls (such as guardrails and working platforms)
before other measures which may only mitigate the distance and
consequences of a fall (such as nets or airbags) or which may only
provide personal protection from a fall.
Copies of the Work at Height Regulations (SI2005 N0735) are
available from the HMSO website at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si20050735.htm
Printed copies are published by The Stationery Office Ltd (TSO). For
further details, please contact TSO, tel: 0870 6005522; fax: 0870 600
5533; e-mail customer.services@tso.co.uk
The Regulations implement Council Directive 2001/45 EC on the
minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by
workers at work (the Temporary Work at Height Directive). This is the
second amendment to the Use of Work Equipment Directive (89/655/EEC).
For further details about the Regulations, please see HSC press
notice C008:05 issued on 17 March 2005 at http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2005/c05008.htm
Copies of The Work at Height Regulations 2005: A brief guide ref
INDG 401 are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk
CO10 2WA, tel: 01787 881165 or fax: 01787 313995
Public Enquiries :
Call HSE's InfoLine, tel: 0845 345 0055, visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact, or
write to: HSE InfoLine, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
