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NZ Building Code · Health & SafetyWorking at Height in NZ: no safe height
Falls from height are the single biggest cause of serious harm and death in NZ construction — and almost all of it is preventable.
Falls from height are the single biggest cause of serious harm and death in NZ construction — and almost all of it is preventable. Forget the old “2 metre rule”: there is no safe height. You assess any situation where a fall could injure someone and control it using the hierarchy of controls, top-down.
The hierarchy of controls
Work your way down the list, and only drop to the next level when the one above isn’t reasonably practicable. The controls near the top protect everyone and can’t be “forgotten”; the ones near the bottom rely on the person and need more planning.
- Eliminate — do the work at ground level. Prefab a frame or roof on the ground and crane it up, or use extension tools.
- Collective passive protection — scaffolding, edge protection (guardrails), a total fall-restraint platform or MEWP. Protects everyone and can’t be forgotten.
- Work-positioning / travel restraint — a harness set so you physically can’t reach the edge.
- Fall arrest — a harness that stops you after a fall. Last resort: it needs anchor design, clearance and a rescue plan (suspension trauma kills).
Ladders
Ladders are for access or short, light work only — never as a work platform. When you use one, set it up right:
- Use a 4:1 angle.
- Foot or secure it.
- Extend it 1 m above the landing.
- Keep three points of contact.
Roofs and fragile surfaces
Roof edges need edge protection or scaffold. Fragile surfaces — old fibre-cement, polycarbonate, skylights, rusted long-run — won’t hold your weight.
- Cover or barrier fragile surfaces, and never walk on them.
- Re-roofs over an existing fragile roof are a classic fatality — plan them carefully.
Plan it before you’re up there
Height work needs a plan on paper, not in your head.
- Plan the work in a SWMS (see Site Safety Plan).
- Check the weather — especially wind.
- Remember scaffolding, or work where someone could fall 5 m or more, is notifiable to WorkSafe.
Plain-English guide, not advice. This page helps you understand and navigate the rules — it is general information, not design, engineering or consent advice, and it does not reproduce the copyrighted tables of NZS 3604 or any Standard. Always check the current Standard or Acceptable Solution and your BCA, and use a suitably qualified LBP, engineer or QS where it matters.
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Common questions
Is there a minimum height before I need fall protection in NZ?
No. Forget the old “2 metre rule” — there is no safe height. You assess any situation where a fall could injure someone and control it using the hierarchy of controls, top-down.
What order should I work through the hierarchy of controls?
Top-down, only dropping a level when the one above isn’t reasonably practicable: 1) eliminate (work at ground level), 2) collective passive protection (scaffolding, edge protection, a fall-restraint platform or MEWP), 3) work-positioning / travel restraint (a harness set so you can’t reach the edge), and 4) fall arrest as a last resort, which needs anchor design, clearance and a rescue plan.
Can I use a ladder as a work platform?
No — ladders are for access or short, light work only, never as a work platform. Set them at a 4:1 angle, foot or secure them, extend 1 m above the landing, and keep three points of contact.
When is height work notifiable to WorkSafe?
Scaffolding, or work where someone could fall 5 m or more, is notifiable to WorkSafe. Plan the work in a SWMS and check the weather, especially wind, before you start.
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