Training & Education

Anyone working at height should be identified as competent to carry out the tasks required. This involves ensuring they have sufficient skills, knowledge, and experience. This can be demonstrated through working at height training qualifications. Anyone taking part in working at height training does not have to be a competent person as long as they are supervised by somebody who has been deemed competent.

The level of skills, knowledge, and experience required to be classed as competent depends on the task required. For example, tasks that are low-risk and short duration may require no more than short instruction and appropriate training. On the other hand, tasks such as drawing up plans for complex scaffold assembly will require a higher level of skills, knowledge, and experience. Specialist working at height training schemes and certification is one way to demonstrate competence for higher-level tasks.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) apply to all work where a fall could cause personal injury. They place duties on employers and anyone who controls work at height, including contractors and building owners.

To comply with WAHR, duty holders must ensure that:

• All work at height is properly planned and organised

• Anyone involved in work at height is competent

• Risks are assessed and suitable work equipment is selected and used

• Risks associated with fragile surfaces are effectively managed

• All work at height equipment is regularly inspected and properly maintained

If you would like, I can shorten this further or align it more closely with HSE-style wording.

Work at height includes any task carried out where a person could fall and suffer injury if proper precautions are not in place. This covers work above ground level, near edges, or where there is a risk of falling into an opening from ground level. A fall from height must involve a fall from one level to another, so slips or trips on the same level, and falls on permanent staircases, are not classed as falls from height.

A lack of proper working at height training is a leading cause of serious and fatal falls. Effective training equips workers with the skills and knowledge to work safely, reduces the risk of accidents, and helps create a safer environment for everyone involved.

As well as receiving the correct working at height training, workers should complete training every 3 years to refresh skills and renew their certificate. Regular refresher training helps reinforce safe working practices, keeps workers up to date with new equipment and procedures, and addresses any gaps in knowledge or competence that may develop over time.

Eurosafe offers a range of industry-leading height safety training courses tailored to individual roles and site requirements. Designed by fall protection specialists, our training ensures workers receive the appropriate level of instruction to work safely and minimise risk.

Our height safety training programmes include:

• Working at Height on Vertical and Horizontal Systems

• Ladder Safety Training

• MSA Latchways Vertical System Installer Training

Under the Confined Space Regulations 1997, a confined space is any enclosed or partially enclosed area where there is a foreseeable risk to health or safety. This includes spaces such as tanks, silos, pits, trenches, pipes, sewers, flues, wells, and similar environments.

If you are unsure whether your premises contain confined spaces, our confined space consultancy and audit services can assess your site and identify any training and PPE requirements.

Every confined space is different, so risks must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Common specified risks include:

• Serious injury caused by fire or explosion

• Loss of consciousness due to increased body temperature

• Loss of consciousness or asphyxiation caused by gases, fumes, vapours, or a lack of oxygen

• Drowning due to a rising liquid level

• Asphyxiation caused by free-flowing solids or an inability to reach a respirable atmosphere

These risks may not be present during an initial assessment, but it is important to consider whether the work being carried out could introduce one or more of them. If the answer is yes, the area should be treated as a confined space.

As well as receiving the correct training, workers should be regularly appraised and receive training refreshers to ensure that your skills and knowledge remain current and effective in maintaining safety standards. Over time, safety protocols and regulations can change, and regular refresher training helps you stay updated on the latest best practices. Additionally, it reinforces critical safety procedures and correct use of equipment, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries in confined spaces. Regular training also helps identify and address any gaps in knowledge or skills that may have developed since the initial training, ensuring a consistently high level of safety awareness and competence.

Yes. Workers should receive regular refresher confined space training to ensure their skills, knowledge, and safety awareness remain current. Refresher training helps keep workers up to date with changes in regulations, reinforces critical safety procedures and equipment use, and reduces the risk of accidents. It also helps identify and address any gaps in competence that may develop over time.