Falls from height are one of the leading causes of serious injuries and deaths on South African construction sites, and they don’t only happen on high-rise projects. Roofers, painters, electricians, solar installers, signage installers and handymen on ladders are all at risk. That’s why the Construction Regulations 2014 require a fall protection plan wherever there’s a risk of falling.
When do you need a fall protection plan?
Regulation 10 of the Construction Regulations 2014 applies to every contractor whose employees are exposed to a fall risk. That means any potential fall from, off or into something: a roof edge, scaffold, ladder, floor opening, excavation, water or a hazardous surface. There’s no “safe” minimum height in the definition. A short fall onto steel, concrete or into an opening can be just as serious.
If your work includes roofs, ladders, scaffolding, mobile elevating work platforms (cherry pickers), towers, ceilings, gutters, solar panels or edges of any kind, you need one.
Who prepares it?
The contractor must designate a competent person in writing to prepare the fall protection plan. That person must have the knowledge, training and experience to identify fall risks and the right controls. The contractor must then make sure the plan is implemented, amended when needed and maintained as work progresses, and kept in the site health and safety file.
What must a fall protection plan contain?
- A risk assessment of all work at height, covering every position where someone could fall, including weather and surface conditions.
- Procedures and methods to eliminate or reduce the risk of falling, preferring collective protection (guardrails, covers, platforms) over personal equipment.
- Physical and psychological fitness of workers at height, with a valid medical certificate of fitness for working at heights.
- Training for everyone working at height, with records and proof of competence.
- Equipment: how harnesses, lanyards, lifelines, anchors, ladders and scaffolds are selected, inspected, maintained and recorded.
- A rescue plan to get a fallen or suspended worker down quickly and safely.
The order of controls for work at height
- Avoid working at height where possible, for example by assembling at ground level or using long-reach tools.
- Prevent falls with collective protection: guardrails with mid-rails and toe-boards, covered openings, properly erected scaffolds and work platforms.
- Work restraint: a harness and lanyard set up so the worker can’t reach the edge.
- Fall arrest: full-body harness, shock-absorbing lanyard and a certified anchor point, plus a rescue plan.
- Ladders only for short, light, low-risk tasks, inspected and secured.
Common mistakes
- A generic plan that doesn’t mention the actual site, roof or structure
- No written appointment of the competent person who prepared it
- Workers without valid medical certificates or working-at-heights training
- Harnesses not inspected, or anchors not rated
- No rescue plan, or no one on site trained to carry it out
- The plan never updated as the work moves to a new area or method
Fall protection plans ready to adapt. Our Construction Health & Safety System includes fall protection and rescue plans for ladders, roofs, ceilings and MEWPs, working at heights risk assessments and method statements, ladder and rescue kit inspection checklists, and appointments such as the fall protection plan developer and safety harness inspector.
Frequently asked questions
At what height do you need fall protection in South Africa?
The Construction Regulations 2014 don’t set a minimum height. A fall protection plan is required wherever there’s a risk of a person falling, so the risk assessment decides, not a fixed height.
Who can draw up a fall protection plan?
A competent person designated in writing by the contractor: someone with the knowledge, training and experience to identify fall risks and set controls.
Do workers at height need a medical certificate?
Yes. Workers exposed to fall risks must be physically and psychologically fit for working at height, and this is confirmed with a valid medical certificate of fitness.
Is a harness enough?
No. Collective protection such as guardrails and platforms comes first. If a harness is used for fall arrest, you also need certified anchor points, inspected equipment, trained workers and a rescue plan.
Does a fall protection plan apply outside construction?
Regulation 10 applies to construction work, but any employer whose staff work at height (on ladders, roofs or racking, for example) must assess and control the fall risk under the OHS Act. A written plan is the best way to show you’ve done it.
