Working at height in New Zealand: what good practice looks like
Falls from height cause a large share of New Zealand's serious construction harm, and WorkSafe treats them as a priority. There is no safe height below which the duty disappears: under HSWA you must manage the risk of any fall that could cause injury, so far as is reasonably practicable.
The order of control
WorkSafe's guidance sets a clear hierarchy. Eliminate the need to work at height where you can (prefabricate on the ground). If you can't, use scaffolding, edge protection or a total restraint system to prevent a fall. Fall-arrest — catching someone after they've fallen — is a last resort, not a first choice.
Equipment and training
Scaffolds, edge protection and mobile elevating work platforms must be suitable, inspected and used by competent people. Some scaffolding work is notifiable. A harness is only effective with a rated anchor, a trained user and a rescue plan.
Evidence it
A height-work plan (often part of the SSSP), current equipment inspection records and the right training, kept against the job, are how you show the fall risk was actually managed.
Questions, answered
Is there a minimum height before the rules apply?
No. HSWA requires you to manage the risk of any fall that could cause injury. WorkSafe's guidance moved away from a fixed trigger height toward managing the actual risk.
Is a harness enough?
It's a last resort. WorkSafe expects you to eliminate the work at height or use fall-prevention (scaffold, edge protection, restraint) first, and only rely on fall-arrest when higher controls aren't practicable — with a rescue plan in place.
Control the fall risk
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