Work at Height
Definition
1. Existing legislation in Malaysia does not provide specific definition to work at height.
2. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) in UK defined work at height as
- work in any place where, including a place at or below ground level;
- obtaining access to or egress from such place while at work, except by a staircase in permanent workplace, where, if measures requires by these Regulations were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.
3. The definition includes work,
- in or on an elevated place of work, for example on a ladder or a flat roof, from which a person could fall;
- in the vicinity of an opening through which a person could fall;
- in the vicinity of an edge over which a person could fall; or
- in any other place (whether above or below ground), for example fall through a fragile surface, from which a person could fall, from one level to another.
4. It is noteworthy that a distance liable to cause personal injury is not prescribed in this interpretation.
Prescribed Distance
5. The prescribed distance in regulation differs among countries. For example, a regulation in Malaysia1 prescribed this distance as 10 feet, while in the UK2, Singapore3 and Australia4, the prescribed distance is 2 meters. In New Zealand5 and Singapore6, the prescribed distance is 3 meter.
6. The prescribed distance is no longer enforced in the UK.
1 refer regulation 12, the Factories and Machinery (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations
2 refer sub-regulation 6(3), the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996
3 refer regulation 8, the Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013
4 refer regulation 291, the Work Health and Safety Regulations
5 refer regulation 21, the Health and Safety in Employement Regulations
6 refer regulation 2, the Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013
Prescribed Distance Discrepancies
7. Despite the discrepancies between the prescribed distance, the purpose of the regulations is the same which is to prevent personal injury to workers.
8. Fall from a height of prescribed distance has been classified as high risk3, 5, and most likely to cause personal injury.
9. This distance can be associated with the probability of worker getting injured and the severity of injury if fall from a height of prescribed distance. The probability is influenced by past accident information, physical size of workers and condition of landing area.
10. Therefore, this discrepancy may be due to the different results of risk assessment conducted in respective countries at the time the regulations were prepared.
Prescribed Measures
11. It must be noted that each regulation requires employer to take prescribed measures if risk assessment shows workers are liable to fall at prescribed distance.
Existance of Other Hazard
12. It does not imply that the employer can do nothing if the risk of falling is at a distance less than the prescribed distance.
13. The decision on suitable control measures to take must be based on the risk assessment, taking into account other hazard that may exist.
14. For example, is the danger of fall is less than 10 feet, but there is other hazard such as protruding nails on the falling surface, then the employer must take suitable measures to protect workers from that hazard.
Brief Guidance
15. Prior to work at height, employer should go through these simple steps:
- avoid work at height where it is practicable to do so,
- if this is not practical, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment;
- if the risk cannot be eliminated, minimise the consequences and distance of a fall, by using the right type of equipment.
Figure 1 gives further guidance and examples for each steps.
Brief Guidance
- Prior to work at height, employer should go through these simple steps:
- avoid work at height where it is practicable to do so,
- if this is not practical, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment;
- if the risk cannot be eliminated, minimise the consequences and distance of a fall, by using the right type of equipment.
Figure 1 gives further guidance and examples for each steps.
Brief Guidance
- Prior to work at height, employer should go through these simple steps:
- avoid work at height where it is practicable to do so,
- if this is not practical, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment;
- if the risk cannot be eliminated, minimise the consequences and distance of a fall, by using the right type of equipment.
Figure 1 gives further guidance and examples for each steps.
16. Employer should:as much as possible, do work from the ground;
- as much as possible, do work from the ground;
- ensure employees can get safe access to where they work at height;
- ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly;
- make sure no overloading or overreaching when work at height;
- take precautions when work takes place near or on fragile surfaces;
- provide protection from falling objects;
- consider procedures during emergency evacuation and rescue.
Skills, Knowledge and Experience of Employees
17. Employer should ensure that employees with sufficient skills, knowledge and experience (SKE) are employed to do the job, or, if they are being trained, that they perform the task under the supervision of someone with sufficient SKE to do it.
18. For tasks, that are low-risk and short duration (short duration means tasks that take less than 30 minutes) involving ladders, the SKE requirements may be no more than ensuring employees obtain instruction on how to use the equipment safely (for example how to secure a ladder properly) and suitable training. Training often takes place on the job, and does not necessarily in a classroom.
19. When a more technical level of SKE is required, for example planning and assembling a scaffold, existing training and certification schemes helps to demonstrate SKE.
Apply General Principles of Prevention
20. General principles of prevention encourages employer to first consider collective protection, whereby everyone who is at risk is protected. If this is not practical, then consider personal protection, that only protect individuals.
21. Collective protection is equipment that does not require the worker to act to be effective, for example guard rail (also called passive protection).
22. Personal protection (also called active protection) is equipment that requires the worker to act to be effective, for example wearing safety harness correctly and attaching it, via an energy-absorbing lanyard, to a suitable anchor point.
23. Figure 1 gives further guidance.
Planning work at height
24. Employer should:
- take account of weather conditions that could affect worker safety;
- check the safety of the location (for example a roof) where work at height is to take place. Each place where employees will work at height needs to be checked every time, before use;
- stop objects or materials from falling or, if it is not practical to prevent objects falling, take suitable and sufficient measures to ensure no person can be injured, for example mark exclusion zones or use safety net to catch falling objects;
- store objects and materials safely, so that they will not cause injury if they are collapse or disturbed;
- plan for emergencies and rescue, for example, agree a set evacuation procedure. Think about foreseeable situations and ensure employees know about this procedure. Do not rely entirely on Bomba in your rescue plan.
Selecting the right equipment
25. Employer should:
- provide the most suitable equipment for the job (use Figure 1 for guidance);
- take account of factors such as:'
- the working conditions (for example, weather, available space);
- the nature, frequency and duration of work;
- the risks to the safety of everyone where the equipment will be used (including during install and dismantle);
- refer the Guidelines for the Prevention of Falls at Workplaces (refer Further Information).
Ensuring equipment is in good condition
26. Equipment, for example scaffolding, needs to be assembled according to the approved designs and manufacturer’s instructions.
27. Where the safety of the equipment depends on how it has been assembled, an employer should ensure it is not used until it has been inspected in that position by a person with the necessary SKE.
28. Inspections should be conducted at suitable intervals appropriate to the environment (for example, adverse weather, accidental damage) and use.
29. Keep a record of any inspection.
Employer and Employees Cooperation
30. The law imposes general duties upon the employees to take reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their actions, and to cooperate with their employer to comply with the law.
31. Employees must:
- use the equipment and safety devices given or supplied properly, in accordance with any instructions and training. If employees believe that would be unsafe, they should seek further instructions before continuing;
- report any safety hazard they identify to their employer.
32. Employer must consult employees on safety and health matters, which include
- risks resulting from their work;
- suggestions to manage and/or control these risks;
- the best ways of providing information and training.
33. Employers should ask employees and their representatives what they think the hazards are and they may have some good, practical ideas on how to control the risks.
Building Designers’ Roles
34. Building designers should assess if there is a need for work to be carried out at height over the building’s lifespan, for example during cleaning, maintenance and repair, of a building.
35. If practical, avoid the need to work at height.
Further Information
For further information and reference on this article, e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Other Information
Other information on work at height from this website:
Guidelines - https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/legislation/guidelines/building-construction-engineering-work/670-02-guidelines-for-the-prevention-of-falls-at-workplaces-2007/file
Poster - https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/construction-safety-v/poster
Inspection Guidance – https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/construction-safety-v/inspection-guidance
