What does 'working at height' mean?

Painting On Ladder 1

Working at height means working in any place where, if precautions are not taken, a person could fall a distance, resulting in personal injury. You are working at height if you:

  • Work above ground-floor level
  • Could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface
  • Could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or a hole in the ground

Working at height does not include a slip or a trip on the level – a fall from height has to involve a fall from one level to a lower level. It does not include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.