What is WAHR 2005? A Guide to Work at Height Regulations
Updated: Oct 20
Work at height is undertaken across many UK workplaces, from using ladders and access platforms to working on roofs, elevated walkways and industrial structures. These activities can present serious risks where suitable precautions are not taken.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) establish legal requirements for planning, supervising and carrying out work at height safely. They also address equipment selection, fall prevention, inspection and maintenance.
This guide explains who WAHR applies to, which activities and equipment are covered, the main legal duties and when inspections are required.
1. What is WAHR 2005 and Who Does It Apply To?
WAHR applies to work in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury if suitable precautions were absent.
This includes falls from elevated positions and falls through fragile surfaces, floor openings or excavations below ground level. There is no minimum height threshold for the regulations to apply. WAHR places duties on:
Employers: Those organising or providing work at height for employees.
Self-employed persons: Those undertaking work at height, where the relevant duties apply.
Those controlling work at height: Contractors, facilities managers, building owners and others responsible for activities undertaken by workers.
The regulations apply across construction, manufacturing, warehousing, maintenance, property management and other industries where falls from height present a risk.
Responsibilities extend beyond equipment ownership.
Those organising or controlling work must ensure suitable precautions are taken, personnel are competent and equipment remains safe for its intended use.
2. What Does WAHR Apply To?
WAHR applies to activities where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury, including work near openings, excavations and fragile surfaces.
It establishes requirements for selecting, using and maintaining equipment intended to prevent falls or minimise their consequences.
Common examples of work-at-height equipment and protective measures include:
Ladders & Access: Extension ladders, stepladders, fixed ladders, mobile steps, kick stools and work platforms.
Platforms & Walkways: Fixed platforms, industrial walkways, access stairs, mobile access towers, scaffold platforms and temporary platforms.
Collective Protection: Fixed guardrails, freestanding rails, edge protection, safety nets, temporary barriers and other collective fall protection measures.
Personal Fall Protection: Safety harnesses, restraint lanyards, fall-arrest lanyards, fall-arrest blocks, connectors and work-positioning equipment.
Anchorage Systems: Anchor points, horizontal lifelines, rail-based systems, structural attachments and associated connectors.
These examples are not exhaustive. Different equipment types may be subject to specific requirements under WAHR, PUWER, LOLER and relevant British or European standards.
3. What Does WAHR Require?
WAHR establishes duties to ensure work at height is properly organised, suitable precautions are implemented and relevant equipment remains safe.
The principal requirements include:
Regulations 4–5 — Planning and Competence
Work at height must be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent persons. Planning must consider foreseeable risks, weather conditions and suitable emergency and rescue arrangements.
Regulation 6 — Avoiding and Preventing Falls
Work at height must be avoided where reasonably practicable. Where unavoidable, suitable measures must prevent falls or minimise their distance and consequences, prioritising collective protection over personal protection.
Regulations 7–8 — Equipment Selection
Equipment must be suitable for the work, considering risks, working conditions and duration. Specific requirements apply to platforms, guardrails, ladders and personal fall protection systems.
Regulations 9–11 — Hazards and Protection
Suitable precautions must protect people from fragile surfaces, falling objects and dangerous areas. Risks must be prevented or controlled through appropriate protective measures.
Regulation 12 — Equipment Inspections
Relevant work equipment must be inspected following installation or assembly where required, at suitable intervals and after exceptional circumstances. Inspection results must be recorded and retained where required, with additional reporting requirements for certain construction working platforms under Schedule 7.
Regulations 13–14 — Workplace Checks and Duties
Relevant workplace surfaces and permanent fall protection measures must be checked before use, so far as reasonably practicable. Workers must report dangerous conditions and use safety equipment correctly.
Relationship with PUWER and LOLER
Equipment subject to Regulation 12 of WAHR is excluded from the inspection requirements of PUWER Regulation 6 under Regulation 6(5)(f). Other applicable PUWER duties remain in force.
Certain work-at-height equipment may also require thorough examination under LOLER, particularly ropes, harnesses and associated equipment used for lifting or lowering people during arboricultural climbing and relevant rope-access operations. Equipment used solely for fall arrest is generally not subject to LOLER.
Together, these requirements address the planning and execution of work at height, not simply periodic equipment inspections.
4. When is a WAHR Inspection Required?
Regulation 12 establishes inspection requirements for specified work-at-height equipment, including equipment covered by Regulation 8 and Schedules 2–6.
The timing and nature of inspections depend on the equipment, its use, installation requirements and exposure to deterioration.
Following Installation or Assembly
Where equipment safety depends on correct installation or assembly, an inspection is required before use in that position.
This can apply to temporary access platforms, collective protection arrangements and other equipment requiring correct assembly.
Periodic Inspections
Equipment exposed to conditions causing deterioration liable to create danger must be inspected at suitable intervals. Inspection frequency depends on equipment type, use, condition, operating environment, manufacturer instructions and relevant standards.
Typical examples include:
Personal fall protection: BS EN 365 specifies periodic examinations at least every 12 months, with HSE guidance recommending more frequent detailed inspections for certain textile equipment.
Anchorage systems: Examination intervals should follow manufacturer instructions, relevant standards and any applicable examination scheme.
Construction platforms: Working platforms used for construction work where a person could fall 2 metres or more must be inspected at intervals not exceeding 7 days, alongside applicable installation and exceptional-event inspections.
These requirements differ according to equipment and circumstances. There is no universal statutory annual inspection interval for all work-at-height equipment.
Following Exceptional Circumstances
Additional inspections are required where events liable to jeopardise equipment safety have occurred, such as damage, severe weather or significant alterations.
Routine pre-use checks and maintenance remain important but do not replace inspections required under WAHR.
5. Common Terms Used in WAHR
Understanding common terminology helps businesses select suitable protective measures and identify equipment inspection requirements.
Work at Height
Work in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury without suitable precautions. This includes elevated positions, fragile surfaces and openings or excavations below ground level.
Collective Protection
Measures that protect everyone exposed to a fall risk without requiring individual action. Examples include guardrails, protected platforms and safety nets. Collective protection generally takes priority over personal protective measures.
Work Positioning
A personal fall protection system supporting a person in tension or suspension while working at height. Such systems may require a suitable independent backup arrangement where a fall risk remains.
Fall Arrest
A personal fall protection system designed to stop a fall after it begins, limiting the forces transmitted to the user. Suitable anchorage, sufficient clearance and appropriate rescue arrangements are essential.
Fall Restraint
A system designed to prevent a person from reaching a position where a fall could occur. Unlike fall arrest, restraint should prevent the fall from happening rather than stop it after it begins.
Anchorage System
An arrangement providing secure attachment for personal fall protection equipment. Suitability depends on its design, intended use, supporting structure and applicable installation and inspection requirements.
Further Information
For further guidance on WAHR, refer to the Work at Height Regulations 2005, HSE publications INDG401 (Working at Height) and INDG367 (Inspecting Fall Arrest Equipment), and the Ladder Association's LA455 guidance.
Additional technical guidance is available through WAHSA and SAFed MLCC19, particularly regarding personal fall protection equipment, examination requirements and anchorage systems.
Steadfast Compliance Ltd provides independent inspections of selected work-at-height equipment across Greater Manchester and the North West, including ladders, access platforms, guardrails and personal fall protection equipment. Our standard scope excludes scaffolding, counterweighted guardrails, concealed structural fixings, specialist anchor systems and installations requiring proof-load testing or structural verification.
For further information or to arrange an inspection, visit Steadfast Compliance or email info@steadfastcompliance.co.uk.
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