Falls from height kill and seriously injure more UK workers than any other cause - consistently accounting for around a third of workplace fatalities in HSE's annual statistics. Ladders, scaffolding, step-ladders, mezzanine edges, fragile roofs, MEWPs, and ordinary edges of buildings all feature. The law - the Work at Height Regulations 2005 - imposes strict, stepped duties on every employer whose workers go above ground level.
Falls from height kill and seriously injure more UK workers than any other cause - consistently accounting for around a third of workplace fatalities in HSE's annual statistics. Ladders, scaffolding, step-ladders, mezzanine edges, fragile roofs, MEWPs, and ordinary edges of buildings all feature. The law - the Work at Height Regulations 2005 - imposes strict, stepped duties on every employer whose workers go above ground level.
WAHR 2005 - the hierarchy of control
Regulation 6 sets a strict hierarchy for managing work at height:
Step 1: Avoid work at height where reasonably practicable - The first duty is to eliminate the need to work at height.
Step 2: Prevent falls using a fall-prevention method - Where work at height is unavoidable, the hierarchy requires existing secure workplace (permanent platform with rails); or existing plant plus collective protection (fixed scaffold with full edge protection, MEWP basket with guardrails); or personal fall-prevention equipment.
Step 3: Minimise fall distance and consequences - Only where steps 1 and 2 aren't reasonably practicable: soft-landing systems, personal fall-arrest equipment, safety nets.
Ladders sit at the lower end of the hierarchy. Under WAHR 2005, ladders should only be used for low-risk, short-duration work where alternative access equipment isn't reasonably practicable.
The '2-metre rule' myth
Many claimants believe WAHR 2005 only applies above 2 metres. It doesn't. The Regulations apply to any work at a height where a person could be injured by falling - including falls less than 2 metres.
Ladder-specific requirements - WAHR 2005 Schedule 6
- Strong and stable enough for purpose.
Common ladder-fall / fall-from-height scenarios
Ladder slipping or kicking out - Bottom of the ladder slides away due to inadequate footing, unstable surface, or no one footing the ladder.
Overreaching - Worker stretches sideways, ladder tips or they fall.
Damaged / defective ladder - Cracked stiles, loose rungs, missing feet, bent rails. Covered by PUWER 1998 alongside WAHR 2005.
Wrong type of ladder for the job - Domestic-grade ladder used commercially; step-ladder used where a leaning ladder was needed.
Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold - Scaffolds should be erected by trained (typically CISRS-qualified) scaffolders, inspected weekly and after alteration.
Mobile scaffold tower incidents - Tower collapse from wheels not locked; fall from inadequate deck. PASMA-trained operation is the industry standard.
MEWP (cherry picker / scissor lift) accidents - Basket falls; electrocution from contact with overhead power lines; tip-overs on uneven ground. IPAF training is the standard.
Mezzanine / platform falls - Inadequate edge protection; removed handrails; gaps in flooring; open mezzanine loading bays.
Fragile roof falls - Falls through skylights, asbestos cement roofs, corrugated sheeting. Usually serious or fatal.
Roofers and window cleaners - Specific high-risk trades.
Retail, warehousing and stockroom falls - Fall from order-picker MEWP; fall from step-ladder reaching shelves.
Typical injuries - serious end of the PI scale
- Head and brain injuries - moderate £52,550 - £267,340; very severe up to £493,000
Total settlements for severe fall claims regularly reach the high six / low seven figures.
Who is the defendant?
Usually the employer (via Employer's Liability insurance). On construction sites, multiple defendants under CDM 2015. See construction site accident claims.
Evidence
- Accident book entry.
Interim payments
Falls from height are the workplace accident category most likely to produce life-changing injury, and interim payments are often critical. See interim payments.
Funding - no win, no fee
Every fall-from-height claim we handle runs on a Conditional Fee Agreement. See no win no fee explained.
Time limits
Three years from the accident or date of knowledge. Protected parties have no time limit while capacity is absent. See time limits.
Will claiming affect my job?
No. Section 104 Employment Rights Act 1996 protects against retaliation.
