Working at heights in Ireland: the legal basics

What the law says

Part 4 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 sets out the basic principles for safe work at height and requires employers to carry out a risk assessment. According to the HSA guide, the Regulations do not specify a minimum height: they apply wherever a fall could cause injury.

Planning, supervision and competence

Regulation 95 requires employers to plan work at height properly, to ensure it is appropriately supervised and to base it on a risk assessment. Several tasks must be carried out under the supervision of a competent person. The HSA explains that, under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, a person is competent when they have sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the work.

Training

Training is one of the ways an employer ensures competence. It should cover the hierarchy of avoiding work at height, preventing falls and minimising the consequences of a fall, and the safe selection and use of equipment.