The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996

Falls

6.—(1) Suitable and sufficient steps shall be taken to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling.

(2) In any case where the steps referred to in paragraph (1) include the provision of—

(a) any guard-rail, toe-board, barrier or other similar means of protection; or

(b) any working platform,

it shall comply with the provisions of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 respectively.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1) and subject to paragraph (6), where any person is to carry out work at a place from which he is liable to fall a distance of 2 metres or more or where any person is to use a means of access to or egress from a place of work from which access or egress he is liable to fall a distance of 2 metres or more—

(a) there shall, subject to sub-paragraphs (c) and (d) below and paragraph (9), be provided and used suitable and sufficient guard-rails and toe-boards, barriers or other similar means of protection to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any person from that place, which guard-rails, toe-boards, barriers and other similar means of protection shall comply with the provisions of Schedule 1; and

(b) where it is necessary in the interest of the safety of any person that a working platform be provided, there shall, subject to sub-paragraphs (c) and (d) below, be so provided and used a sufficient number of working platforms which shall comply with the provisions of Schedule 2; and

(c) where it is not practicable to comply with all or any of the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) above or where due to the nature or the short duration of the work compliance with such requirements is not reasonably practicable, there shall, subject to sub-paragraph (d) below, be provided and used suitable personal suspension equipment which shall comply with the provisions of Schedule 3; and

(d) where it is not practicable to comply with all or any of the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) above or where due to the nature or the short duration of the work compliance with such requirements is not reasonably practicable, such requirements of those sub-paragraphs as can be complied with shall be complied with and, in addition, there shall be provided and used suitable and sufficient means for arresting the fall of any person which shall comply with the provisions of Schedule 4.

(4) Means for the prevention of, or for protection from, falls provided pursuant to sub-paragraph (a) and (d) of paragraph (3) may be removed for the time and to the extent necessary for the movement of materials, but shall be replaced as soon as practicable.

(5) A ladder shall not be used as, or as a means of access to or egress from, a place of work unless it it reasonable to do so having regard to—

(a) the nature of the work being carried out and its duration; and

(b) the risks to the safety to any person arising from the use of the ladder.

(6) Where a ladder is used pursuant to paragraph (5)—

(a) it shall comply with the provisions of Schedule 5; and

(b) the provisions of paragraph (3) shall not apply.

(7) Any equipment provided pursuant to this regulation shall be properly maintained.

(8) (a) The installation or erection of any scaffold provided pursuant to paragraph (1) or sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (3) and any substantial addition or alteration to such scaffold shall be carried out only under the supervision of a competent person.

(b) The installation or erection of any personal suspension equipment or any means of arresting falls provided pursuant to sub-paragraphs (c) or (d) of paragraph (3) shall be carried out only under the supervision of a competent person, and for the purposes of this paragraph installation shall not include the personal attachment of any equipment or means of preventing falls to the person for whose safety such equipment or means is provided.

(9) No toe-boards shall be required in respect of any stairway, or any rest platform forming part of a scaffold, where such stairway or platform is used solely as a means of access to or egress from any place of work, provided that the stairway or platform is not being used for the keeping or storing of any material or substance.