Working at heights inspection tool

The majority of fall from heights accidents can be avoided with proper planning. This workplace ‘inspection
tool’ is not compulsory but will help you to identify and review work at heights activities at your site. You can
then develop and/or streamline safe workplace practices, prevent incidents as well as help you to comply
with regulatory requirements.
The initial process will take some time to organise and document, but means you can be confident that
unnecessary heights activities are eliminated or contracted out. The process to assist you with a heights
review is:
1. Review your workplace activities
2. Collate your information
3. Prioritise and plan how you will address any work at heights issues
4. Establish safe work practices
5. Risk assess your activities
When completed, this tool will help your workplace to develop a summary of all ‘work at heights’ or ‘falling
objects’ activities and hazards in your workplace. It will also collate information that will help you to manage
the risks associated with these activities or hazards.

Principal/Site Manager/Workplace Health and Safety Committee

Nominate staff member(s) to co-ordinate the workplace heights

review.

Consult with workers to obtain information. Use the Fall hazards and workplace practices
checklists to help this consultation. Review the DoE Working at heights guideline to assist with
hazard identification, risk assessment and control processes.

Contractors

DoE employees Collate your findings.

Note: school employees Summarise any required
and all volunteers are actions in the Workplace Review your workplace
prohibited from being on, falls from heights action plan. procedure for contracted
or working on roofs. work at heights

Using the action plan to guide you, establish safe work practices for any identified tasks or hazard
areas.
Complete risk assessments/SWMS/SOPs for these tasks.
Implement any identified control measures (use the five level hierarchy to guide you).
Ensure staff are adequately informed and trained before work commences.
Maintain records.

Reviewed October 2018 V1 Department of Education

Uncontrolled when printed. Organisational Safety and Wellbeing
Consult people with knowledge and experience who undertake heights work and are familiar with
workplace hazards. Consider:
 workplace tasks/areas that have fall from heights hazards
 who is at risk and what are the consequences of a fall
 the potential severity of any injuries
 the frequency and duration of activities
 risks due to the natural environment or the design of the workplace
 are workers trained and competent and are there any training requirements
 are there additional risks posed by the installation and removal of work equipment
 are there other risks (electrical; mechanical; or manual handling risks), and
 are there risks arising from current organisational or procedural practices?
To further minimise risks, consider gaining assistance to:
 identify/designate/mark safe roof access and egress points
 identify/sign/isolate brittle roof areas, and
 identify, mark and place any equipment (e.g. ladders, anchor points/ plates) on a maintenance
schedule to ensure compliance with inspection and repair requirements.

Workplace fall hazards and practices checklists and action plan

Inspections are a good way to identify hazards and issues specific to your work environment and activities.
You (and your team) can either develop your own inspection checklists covering all work areas and tasks
carried out in your workplace, or you can modify and use the hazard checklists and tools provided.
The following checklists can be used to help you to review existing fall from heights activity in the
workplace.
1. Identify the tasks that you might do across the top of the Workplace fall hazards checklist (you can
add or delete activities) then walk around the workplace and talk to your colleagues to identify fall
hazards. Record the results on the checklist.
2. Once you have identified the tasks you undertake in your workplace and the hazards associated
with them, it is useful to consider how they are managed. Use the Workplace practices checklist to
identify what practices you have in place or need to develop to manage fall hazards in your
workplace.
3. Summarise your workplace review into the Workplace falls from heights action plan.
4. Work through your action plan to ensure you have good work practices at your workplace to
manage fall hazards.

Reviewed October 2018 V1 Department of Education

Uncontrolled when printed. Organisational Safety and Wellbeing
 Workplace fall hazards checklist
Modify this checklist to suit your workplace tasks (the tasks listed here are examples only). Place an  to indicate hazards that need to be
managed and a  to indicate hazards are adequately identified and controlled.

Access loading docks with

Set up hanging classroom
Retrieve items from a roof

indoors (e.g. change light

Access lighting and other

Use a ladder, stepladder

fittings and equipment in

Use a scissor lift, cherry

Change outdoor display
fittings, projector bulbs)
Perform maintenance
work at ceiling height

Grounds and garden

picker or other lifting

no edge protection.
multipurpose areas

Undertake building
Clean roof gutters

or work platform
Common hazards to check at the worksite:

maintenance

maintenance

equipment.
(e.g. balls).

displays.

signs
Surfaces (the evenness and stability of ground for safe support of scaffolding or
working platform):
 the stability
 the fragility or brittleness
 the potential to slip (e.g. where surfaces are wet, polished, glazed or oily)
 the safe movement of employees where surfaces change
 the strength or capability to support loads
 the slope of work surfaces
Levels (where levels change and employees may be exposed to a fall from one level
to another)
Structures (the stability of temporary or permanent structures)
The working area (whether it is crowded or cluttered)
Scaffolding (the correct erection and dismantling)
Edges (edge protection for open edges of floors, working platforms, walkways, walls
or roofs)
Hand grips (places where hand grip may be lost e.g. rain can make surfaces slippery
and strong winds can cause loss of hand grip)
Openings or holes which will require identification or protection; or unguarded shafts
or excavations
 Access loading docks with
Set up hanging classroom
Retrieve items from a roof

indoors (e.g. change light

Access lighting and other

Use a ladder, stepladder

fittings and equipment in

Use a scissor lift, cherry

Change outdoor display
fittings, projector bulbs)
Perform maintenance
work at ceiling height

Grounds and garden

picker or other lifting

no edge protection.
multipurpose areas

Undertake building
Clean roof gutters

or work platform
Common hazards to check at the worksite:

maintenance

maintenance

equipment.
(e.g. balls).

displays.

signs
Proximity of employees to unsafe areas (barriers are used)
Loads that are placed on elevated working areas (check stability of structures or
load bearing capacity).
Work areas are clear of protruding objects, water, vehicles and people (e.g. star
pickets, tree stumps, fences, students).
Locations where work is to be carried out above workers (e.g. potential hazards from
falling objects).
Power lines near working areas; solar arrays, cables between buildings.
Movement of plant or equipment (ensuring there is no sudden acceleration or
deceleration).
The method of getting plant, equipment and materials to and from the work area is
safe (checking for obstructions; clear travel paths).
Manual handling (checking safe work practices for carrying awkward materials, such
as plaster boards and roof sheeting, which may be caught by the wind).
Adequate lighting; reflective glare; UV exposure of workers.
Weather conditions (when heavy rain, dew or wind are present)
Footwear and clothing (suitability for conditions)
Ladders (where and how they are being used, are they used only for access and
egress or as work platforms?)
Ladder anchor plates are identified, regularly inspected and maintained.
Ladder extends one metre above roof level on access and egress points.
Other:
Workplace practices checklist
Now that you have identified the tasks you undertake in your workplace and the hazards associated with them, it is useful to consider how they are
managed as poor workplace practices can often be a major contributor to fall incidents. Consult with staff. Use this information to develop relevant
practices and communicate these clearly (e.g. through training and induction). Modify this checklist to suit your workplace tasks (the tasks listed
here are examples only). Place an  to indicate hazards that need to be managed and a  to indicate good practices are in place.

indoors (e.g. change light

Access lighting and other

Use a ladder, stepladder

fittings and equipment in

with no edge protection.

Use a scissor lift, cherry
Change outdoor display
fittings, projector bulbs)

Access loading docks

Perform maintenance
Retrieve items from a

work at ceiling height

Grounds and garden

picker or other lifting

classroom displays.

multipurpose areas

Undertake building
Clean roof gutters

or work platform
roof (e.g. balls).

Set up hanging
Workplace practices

maintenance

maintenance

equipment.
signs
Work on roofs is prohibited for DoE employees (excludes TAFEs) and all
volunteers.
The risks of anyone falling, or objects falling from heights have been assessed:
Practical steps have been taken to prevent falls (i.e. control measures are

used).
 Safer, alternative ways to do the work have been considered.
 Potential hazards have been identified and actioned.
Persons working at heights are medical fit and physically able.
Staff nominated to work at heights has been given information, instruction and
training before they are authorised to commence work. This includes an
understanding of risk management documentation.
Staff are supervised where required to ensure that safe work practices are adhered
to. (Control measures are used and effective).
Unauthorised height access is blocked. Access to any equipment used to work
higher than two metres is restricted.
Heights equipment is designated as authorised use only.
Inspections of plant and machinery occur prior to work commencing.
Maintenance and repair programs are recorded, reported and reviewed regularly to
ensure their effectiveness. They may incorporate: when servicing is required; the
extent of servicing required; the nature of the servicing required; the frequency of
 indoors (e.g. change light

Access lighting and other

Use a ladder, stepladder

fittings and equipment in

with no edge protection.

Use a scissor lift, cherry
Change outdoor display
fittings, projector bulbs)

Access loading docks

Perform maintenance
Retrieve items from a

work at ceiling height

Grounds and garden

picker or other lifting

classroom displays.

multipurpose areas

Undertake building
Clean roof gutters

or work platform
roof (e.g. balls).

Set up hanging
Workplace practices

maintenance

maintenance

equipment.
signs
servicing; who is responsible for maintaining repair and maintenance programs;
and how defects will be corrected.
Plant is operated by trained and competent operators who hold current relevant
certificates or training competencies. This training is recorded in the workplace.
WAAPs/permit to work; contractor supplied SWMS and risk assessments,
Contractor work practices

equipment maintained/inspection records, rescue plans etc.) are recorded

(e.g. documentation uploaded to BEMIR).
Authority to access heights is documented and includes evidence of local
induction, training, instruction and/or competency.
Processes are in place to ensure contractors undertake compliant work
Roof anchor points for work positioning systems are inspected and logged as
required by AS1891.4
Safety signage is displayed when required (e.g. lift wells/trenches have
barriers and/or signage in place during maintenance).
Other:
Workplace work at heights action plan
Use the information you collected from your workplace review to develop an action plan to prioritise and address any work at heights issues you
have identified. You can also use this information to help you complete risk management documentation for specific work at heights tasks.
Activity Priority Required action Due date Responsible Completion
H M L person date
Clean roof gutters
Retrieve items from a roof (e.g. balls).

Perform maintenance work at ceiling

height indoors (e.g. change light fittings,
projector bulbs)
Use a ladder, stepladder or work platform

Set up hanging classroom displays.

Access lighting and other fittings and

equipment in multipurpose areas
Change outdoor display signs

Undertake building maintenanceGrounds

and garden maintenance
Access loading docks with no edge
protection.
Use a scissor lift, cherry picker or other
lifting equipment.
Contractor work

Remember to:
Provide any relevant documentation and training to workers when undertaking fall from heights tasks (e.g. safe use of ladders SOP, mobile
scaffold SWMS).
Review workplace effectiveness of prevention of falls planning at least annually (e.g. incorporate into annual WHS audit or Annual school
assessment). Review more frequently if something changes, new equipment is used or an incident occurs. Ratify all documentation through
approved delegated workplace authority (e.g. WHS Committee).