# What counts as working at height?

The key is the risk of injury from a fall, not a universal minimum height.

Jurisdiction: England, Wales, Scotland
Source check: 2026-11-03. Editorial status: source-checked draft; specialist sign-off pending.

## Who this covers
Work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury if precautions were not in place.

## The requirement
Plan, supervise and carry out work at height using competent people and suitable equipment. Avoid the work at height where reasonably practicable, then prevent falls or minimise their consequences.

## Practical steps
- Consider whether the task can be done from the ground.
- Choose precautions for the task, surface and conditions.
- Use suitable equipment with competent people and appropriate supervision.

## Common mistake
A short task or a low height does not automatically remove the need to assess the risk.

## Timing
Plan before the task and reassess when conditions change.

## Questions for a provider
- Can this task be done without work at height?
- How will collective protection be used?
- What is the rescue arrangement if something goes wrong?

## Official sources
- [HSE: working at height safely](https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/introduction.htm)

General information, not an assessment or a statement that a business is compliant.


## Compare the proposed method as well as the day rate

### Before you commission work
Describe the location, access, task and constraints before inviting quotes. Ask whether the task can be done without work at height and how the provider has planned the work. A low price that assumes you supply access equipment is different from one that includes a complete, suitable arrangement.

### Follow through on the result
Clarify who provides equipment, manages the work area and coordinates with other occupants. Ask how changes in conditions will be handled. If the agreed method becomes impracticable, refer it back to the competent planner rather than accepting an improvised substitute to keep the job on schedule.

## Buying the right work
- Explain the task, height, duration and access.
- Ask whether it can be completed from the ground.
- Check the proposed equipment, supervision and emergency arrangements.

## What you can do yourself
Plan the work and check whether safer access or avoiding the task at height is possible. Only use equipment and methods you are competent to use.

## When to get help
Get appropriate competence for difficult access, fragile surfaces and tasks your staff cannot safely plan or carry out.

## Records to keep
- The task and assessment of the fall risk.
- The selected access method and precautions.
- Equipment checks, competence and emergency arrangements.

## Is work below two metres automatically exempt?
No. The definition concerns a fall that could cause injury, not a blanket two-metre threshold.

Source check for this expanded guide: 2026-11-03. Specialist sign-off pending.