Permit to work · 8 precautions · 2 critical

Work at Height
permit to work

Issued under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, MEWP, scaffold, ladder, mast climber, roof access, or any task where a fall could cause injury.

These are the precautions the issuer confirms before signing. Each one says what good looks like, when it passes, the regulation it rests on and how it usually fails. Critical precautions are marked: if one cannot be confirmed, the permit is not issued.

Precautions before issue

  1. 1.
    Fragile surfaces identified and signed
    What to look forSurvey of the roof surface BEFORE access, identifying fragile areas (asbestos cement sheet, fibre cement, GRP rooflights painted to look identical to opaque sheets, old corrugated metal where fixings have rusted out, cleaned glass rooflights). Each fragile area marked with a sign at the access point AND physically barriered or covered with a non-fragile cover (mesh, board) where work passes near. ACR[CP]001 industry guidance treats ALL roof surfaces as fragile until proven otherwise.
    Acceptable whenPre-access survey on file. Fragile areas signed at every access point ("DANGER FRAGILE ROOF"). Rooflights covered with mesh covers (load rated) or barriered to 2m. Industry default: assume fragile unless explicitly rated.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 reg 9 + sch.5 (fragile surfaces). HSE INDG284 Working on roofs. ACR[CP]001 Recommended Practice for Work on Roofs (Advisory Committee for Roofsafety). HSG33 Health and safety in roof work.
    Common defectsPainted rooflight indistinguishable from opaque sheet, operative steps onto it, falls throughAsbestos cement assumed safe because it "looks solid", brittle, fails under loadNo signage at the access point, incoming worker has no warningRooflight covers loose, blown off in wind20-year-old metal sheet with rusted fixings, pulls free from load
  2. 2.
    Edge protection or harness system in place
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forWAHR hierarchy applied: (1) avoid working at height; (2) use existing or temporary edge protection (top rail 950-1100mm, mid rail max 470mm gap, toeboard 150mm); (3) collective fall arrest (nets, airbags); (4) personal fall protection (harness + lanyard) only as last resort. Where harness used, anchor point >= 12kN strength (EN 795), short lanyard with adjustable rope grab limiting fall <2m, OR retractable type fall arrester (EN 360). Fall factor 2 avoided.
    Acceptable whenEdge protection: top rail 950-1100mm, mid rail <470mm gap, toeboard 150mm (CDM 2015 / WAHR sch.2). Anchors EN 795 12kN. Harness EN 361. Lanyard EN 354 / EN 355. Retractable EN 360. No-fall-factor-2 condition (i.e. anchor at or above shoulder).
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 reg 6 (avoidance), reg 7 (selection), sch.2 (guard rails). EN 361/354/355/360/795. CDM 2015. INDG401 Working at height brief guide.
    Common defectsHarness used where edge protection was reasonably practicable, hierarchy ignoredAnchor on a roof vent pipe or HVAC duct, not 12kN rated, fails on arrestLanyard too long, fall arrest distance > distance to ground or to lower roofFall factor 2 condition, anchor at feet, fall doubled, peak force exceeds harness ratingEdge protection mid-rail missing, operative slides under top railSingle attachment harness used where double would allow continuous tie-off during transition
  3. 3.
    Safe access route established (scaffold, MEWP, ladder)
    What to look forAccess by the safest practicable means. Hierarchy: scaffold tower / fixed staircase > MEWP (cherry picker, scissor lift) > podium step > extension ladder. Scaffold to TG20:21 / NASC. MEWP operator IPAF licensed. Ladders only for short-duration low-risk access. Access route inspected pre-shift, signed by competent person.
    Acceptable whenScaffold to TG20:21 / SG4:22 (working safely). MEWP operator IPAF + harness with restraint lanyard inside basket. Ladders only where risk-assessed and short-duration (<30 min, light tools). Daily access inspection record.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005. NASC TG20:21 / SG4:22. IPAF MEWP operator scheme. INDG402 (ladders). BS 1139 / BS EN 12811 (scaffolding).
    Common defectsLadder for full-day work, operative one-handed for 8 hours, fall riskMEWP operator no IPAF card or expiredScaffold not handed over with handover certificate (Scafftag)No restraint lanyard in MEWP basket, operative ejected when basket impacts overheadAccess scaffold not tied to building, stability fails under load
  4. 4.
    Weather conditions assessed (wind, rain, ice)
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forWind speed measured at the working level (anemometer at the platform, NOT the Met Office reading from the airport 10 miles away). Suspend work above thresholds: MEWP boom 12.5 m/s (28 mph) Beaufort 6, scaffold 11 m/s, sheet handling much lower (4 m/s for large sheets). Rain or ice, surfaces unpredictable, suspend until dried/gritted. Lightning, clear roof immediately.
    Acceptable whenMEWP suspend > manufacturer wind rating (typically 12.5 m/s). Sheet handling suspend > 4-7 m/s depending on sheet area. Scaffold work suspend > 11 m/s. Frost/ice on access surface, suspend. Lightning <10 km (count: 30 sec from flash to thunder = 10km).
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 reg 6. NASC SG4:22 (wind on scaffolds). IPAF wind force calculator. Met Office Beaufort scale.
    Common defectsWind speed from Met Office not site, local building creates funnel effect, wind 50% higher at roofSheet handling continued at 8 m/s, cladding sheet acts as a sail, lifts operativeFrost on metal roof at 0700, first operative slips before sun melts iceNo anemometer on site, judgement-based assessmentMEWP used in 30 mph gusts, manufacturer limit 28 mph, basket toppled
  5. 5.
    Exclusion zone below work area
    What to look forA defined ground-level zone below the work, barriered with Heras or pedestrian barriers, signed "DANGER FALLING OBJECTS". Exclusion zone radius based on work height, typical: 1m radius per 5m of height, minimum 3m. Banksman where public adjacent. Where eliminating risk impossible (e.g. busy street), debris netting and toeboards at the work level + sentry below.
    Acceptable whenExclusion zone radius >= work height/5, minimum 3m. Heras + signage. Banksman/sentry where public access. Debris netting / toeboards at platform level. Pedestrian diversion where required.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 reg 10 (falling objects). CDM 2015. HSG150.
    Common defectsNo exclusion zone, pedestrian struck by dropped toolExclusion zone radius too small for work height, drift trajectory carries falling object outside zoneNo sentry at busy access door, pedestrian walks under workDebris net not fitted under MEWP basket, small dropped item passes through guardrail toeboard gapHeras feet missing, barrier blown over leaves zone open
  6. 6.
    Rescue plan for fall from height
    What to look forA written, tested rescue plan that does NOT rely solely on the fire and rescue service. After a fall arrest, suspended operative must be recovered within 15-20 minutes to avoid suspension trauma (orthostatic intolerance). Rescue equipment available on site (e.g. proprietary kit like RollGliss, RescuePak, or trauma straps to relieve leg pressure). Rescuer trained and drilled in last 6 months. MEWP self-rescue (basket descent on auxiliary power) or evacuation harness + descender.
    Acceptable whenRescue achievable within 15 minutes (suspension trauma onset 15-30 min). Equipment on site. Rescuer trained and drilled <6 months. FRS notified as backup not primary. Suspension trauma straps deployed by casualty within 5 min if conscious.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 reg 4(1)(c). INDG401. HSE Bulletin "Suspension trauma" (2008 / superseded). BS 8454 rescue training.
    Common defectsPlan = "phone 999", FRS may take 30+ minutes, suspension trauma fatal at 30 minRescuer drilled once at induction, never since, slow execution under stressNo suspension trauma straps on harness, casualty unable to relieve leg veinsMEWP auxiliary descent control untested, fails when neededRescue plan generic, not site-specific to actual roof geometry
  7. 7.
    Crawling boards/stagings on fragile surfaces
    What to look forWhere work is on or near fragile material, crawling boards (proprietary roof ladders / cat ladders) or staging platforms span the load across multiple structural members, minimum 600mm wide, designed for 200kg distributed load. Boards lapped over purlins / supports. Operative never steps directly on the fragile surface. Where boards must be moved (working across an area), two boards leap-frogged so operative is always on a board.
    Acceptable whenBoards/stagings >= 600mm wide. Span across structural members (purlins, rafters). Two boards minimum for moving work. Manufacturer load rating sufficient for operatives plus tools. Boards lashed where wind risk.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 sch.5. HSG33 Health and safety in roof work. ACR[CP]001.
    Common defectsSingle board, operative steps off to reach a fixing, falls throughPlywood sheet substituted for proprietary crawler, flexes, loads fragile materialBoards not spanning to a purlin, load on fragile sheet centreBoard edges not lapped, gap at junction allows step-throughWind blows unsecured board off the roof, operative loses safe path
  8. 8.
    Tools and materials secured against falling
    What to look forEvery tool tethered to the operative or to the structure with a tool lanyard rated for the tool weight. Materials in lift-up bags / pallets, never thrown or kicked off the roof edge. Toeboards 150mm at all open edges. Loose materials (small fixings, off-cuts) stored in lidded containers. Wind-blown debris controlled with debris netting.
    Acceptable whenTool lanyard load rating > tool weight (typically 1-3 kg per attachment point, larger for heavy tools). Toeboards 150mm at all open edges. Lifting bags for material movement, no manual ground-throw. Debris netting at scaffold elevations where required.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 reg 10. CDM 2015. HSG150.
    Common defectsDrill on no lanyard, knocked off edge, falls 12m onto pedestrianToeboard missing on one side, fixings roll off, hit operative belowTile thrown to ground rather than lowered, fragments pedestrian zoneTool lanyard load rating exceeded, snaps under impactLoose nails in pocket fall through scaffold gaps

Questions people ask

When is a work at height permit needed?

Issued under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, MEWP, scaffold, ladder, mast climber, roof access, or any task where a fall could cause injury. A permit is the right control when the work is high risk, time-limited and depends on specific precautions being in place before it starts and being kept in place while it runs. It does not replace the RAMS; it sits on top of it for that shift. Guidance, not legal advice.

Who issues a permit to work?

An authorised person who is competent for that type of work and is not the one doing it. They walk the job, confirm each precaution, sign the permit, and hand it to the person in charge of the work, who accepts it by signature. Two names, two signatures, a start time and an expiry.

How long is a permit valid?

One shift, or a shorter stated period. If the conditions change, the permit is suspended, not stretched. A new day is a new permit, walked and signed again, because the site is not the same site it was yesterday.

What does critical mean on a precaution?

2 of the 8 precautions here are marked critical. If a critical precaution cannot be confirmed, the permit is not issued and the work does not start. The rest can be conditioned or noted; the critical ones cannot.

How is the permit closed out?

The person in charge hands it back when the work stops, the issuer checks the area is left safe, and both sign the close-out. For hot works that includes the fire watch period after the last spark. The closed permit is kept with the job file.

Issue it on a phone, close it out on a phone

The same 8 precautions with the guidance a tap away, issuer and acceptor signatures, start and expiry times, suspension, close-out and a branded PDF in the job file. 14 days free.

Start free trial