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Work at heights is among the most serious workplace hazards in Australian industry. Whatever the industry—Sydney construction or Western Australian mining—falls from heights invariably make it among the leading causes of workplace death and serious harm. For Australian companies, not only is it the best practice to have good risk management processes in place—it is legislation that can help save lives and protect your business.
Understanding Australian Height Work Regulations
The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and the associated regulations govern Australia’s height work safety. A Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) under such acts has to ensure protection of employees who are working above two meters or where falling into hazardous zones is possible.
Safe Work Australia defines “working at height” as any activity in which a person may fall and harm themselves. This includes working on roofs, scaffolds, ladders, or in the area of unprotected edges. The legislation emphasises a hierarchy of controls, in that employers must remove hazards wherever possible prior to utilising protection.
Some of the major Australian standards are AS/NZS 1891 series for fall arrest systems and AS/NZS 4576 for guidelines on workplace access. These provide detailed requirements for equipment, installation, and maintenance procedures that must be adhered to by Australian companies.
Managing Successful Risk Assessments
The foundation of safety in this area is a working at height risk assessment. Under Australian law, PCBUs must recognise hazards, assess risks, and implement controls before commencing a job.
Start by considering the specific work location. Include in your consideration factors such as weather, surface stability, proximity to power lines, and the nature of the work. Australian conditions present unique challenges—high winds, high temperatures, and UV radiation can all have an impact on the operation of equipment and the safety of workers.
Record all the risks you encounter and evaluate the probability and potential severity of accidents. Workers who will actually be performing the work should be included in your evaluation because their in-the-field experience usually identifies risks that would otherwise go unseen. Regular revisions keep your evaluation current as conditions change.
Implementing Effective Control Measures
Australian WHS legislation mandates you to use the hierarchy of control to remove height work hazards. Elimination remains the best choice—can the task be undertaken at ground level rather than from a height? Consider the use of extendable tools, mobile work platforms, or prefabricated modules to remove height work entirely.
Where elimination is not practical, engineering controls are preferred. Install permanent guards, guardrails, or safety mesh where employees frequently go to elevated areas. Scaffolding and temporary edge protection installed properly offer collective protection to more than one employee at a time.
Fall arrest systems are used as a last resort when no other options are possible. These personal protective systems require regular inspection, competent training, and rescue protocols. Australian businesses should ensure that workers receive competent training and that rescue protocols eliminate suspension trauma risks.
Keeping Your Safety Investment
Height work risk control requires ongoing attention once you have deployed it initially. Regular equipment inspection, refreshing worker training, and procedure review keep your safety systems at their best.
The Australian companies that invest in proactive risk management not only save their workers, but protect their business viability and corporate reputation as well. Robust safety provisions cost hardly anything compared to the possible costs of workplace accidents—both human and financial.
Remember that good height work safety is a combination of compliance and sensible risk management. Understanding your obligations, exercising sound judgment, and implementing adequate controls means you create workplaces where people go home safely every day.
