National implementation
United Kingdom
No minimum height threshold — WAHR 2005 gives collective protection statutory priority over PPE
EnforcementHealth and Safety Executive (HSE)Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)
Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR)
- WAHR 2005 reg. 6(2)–(4) — cascade: avoid → prevent → minimise; the employer must apply the highest reasonably practicable control
- WAHR 2005 reg. 7(1)(a) — collective protection measures take statutory priority over personal protection when selecting work equipment
- WAHR 2005 Schedule 2 — minimum guard-rail requirements: top rail ≥950 mm (≥910 mm for existing installations), intermediate rail/gap ≤470 mm, toe-board
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) ss.2–3 — umbrella duty: employer must ensure the safety of employees and third parties (contractors, visitors)
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) — places fall-protection duty on the design stage of the supply chain; solar installation counts as "construction work"
HSE guidance & standards
- HSG33 "Health and safety in roof work" (5th ed., 2020) — operational standard for flat roofs: edge protection required where no permanent parapet ≥950 mm exists
- INDG401(rev2) "Working at height: A brief guide" — plain-English guide to the cascade and collective-before-PPE rule; names a permanent guard rail as the example
- HSWA s.6 — independent product-safety duty on designers, manufacturers and suppliers of work equipment (to verify)
Tender justification
“Under WAHR 2005 reg 7(1)(a), collective protection measures take legal priority over personal protective equipment, and HSE guidance names a permanent guard rail as the example of collective protection. A compliant permanent guardrail is preferred for roofs with recurring access, turning the roof edge into an existing safe place of work under reg 6(4)(a). Economic considerations do not justify departing from this statutory hierarchy.”
Verified against
The provisions on this page were checked against the primary legal text. Internal dossier references:
- project-scout/verenigd-koninkrijk/market/falls-wah-rules.md
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