PART II | Avoidance of work at height |
| 4. It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that no work at height is carried out where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely otherwise than at height. |
| 5.—(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of every workplace specified in the First Schedule, and in which work at height is carried out, to establish and implement a fall prevention plan. [S 434/2024 wef 01/06/2024] | (2) The fall prevention plan referred to in paragraph (1) shall be established and implemented in accordance with the requirements of the approved code of practice relating to safe and sound practices for fall prevention. |
| (3) It shall be the duty of the occupier of every workplace specified in the First Schedule to ensure that the fall prevention plan referred to in paragraph (1) is made available for inspection upon request by any inspector. [S 434/2024 wef 01/06/2024] |
| (4) [Deleted by S 434/2024 wef 01/06/2024] |
| (5) This regulation shall apply only to work at height carried out on or after 1st May 2014. |
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| Training for persons at work |
| 6. It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that the person shall work at height in a workplace only after he has first received adequate safety and health training to familiarise himself with the hazards associated with work at height and the precautions to be observed. |
| Supervision of work at height |
| 7. It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that the person shall work at height in a workplace under the immediate supervision of a competent person for that work. |
8.—(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to comply with paragraphs (2), (4) and (5).| (2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (5), every open side or opening into or through which a person is liable to fall more than 2 metres shall be covered or guarded by effective guard-rails or barriers to prevent fall. |
| (3) The cover, guard-rail or barrier referred to in paragraph (2) may be removed where free access is required for work actually in progress at or near the open side or opening. |
| (4) Every cover, guard-rail or barrier referred to in paragraph (2) which is removed under paragraph (3) shall be reinstated or replaced immediately when access of persons or movement of materials is not taking place at or near the open side or opening. |
(5) Where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with paragraph (2), or where a cover, guard-rail or barrier is removed under paragraph (3), or during the installation, alteration or removal of the covers, guard-rails or barriers —| (a) | a travel restraint system shall be used to prevent a person falling into or through the open side or opening referred to in paragraph (2); or | | (b) | where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with sub-paragraph (a), a fall arrest system shall be used. |
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| Cover, guard-rail and barrier to prevent fall |
| 9.—(1) This regulation does not apply in relation to any scaffold in a workplace which is, is being or is to be constructed, erected, installed, used, re-positioned, altered, maintained, repaired or dismantled. [S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014] (2) Where a cover is provided in a workplace to prevent any person from falling, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that the cover —| (a) | is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength to withstand the impact during the course of work in the workplace; and | | (b) | is securely fixed in place to prevent accidental displacement. |
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(3) Where any guard-rail or barrier is provided in a workplace to prevent any person from falling, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that —| (a) | every guard-rail or barrier —| (i) | is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength to withstand the impact during the course of work in the workplace; | | (ii) | is placed on the inside of the uprights or structures and secured so as to prevent accidental displacement; and | | (iii) | is so placed so as to prevent the fall of any person; |
| | (b) | the top guard-rail or the barrier is at least one meter above the work platform or working place from which any person at work is liable to fall; and | | (c) | the vertical distance —| (i) | between any 2 adjacent guard-rails provided; or | | (ii) | between any work platform or working place and the guard-rail immediately above it, |
| does not exceed 600 millimetres. |
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10. Where a travel restraint system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that —| (a) | the travel restraint system —| (i) | is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength; | | (ii) | is free from patent defects; and | | (iii) | is suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is intended; and |
| | (b) | every person using the travel restraint system is trained in the safe and correct use of the system. |
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11.—(1) Where a fall arrest system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out at that workplace any work at height to ensure that —| (a) | the fall arrest system —| (i) | is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength; | | (ii) | is free from patent defects; and | | (iii) | is suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is intended; |
| | (b) | every person using the fall arrest system is trained in the safe and correct use of the system; and | | (c) | no part of the fall arrest system comes into contact with anything that could affect the safe use of the system. |
(2) Where a fall arrest system using a full-body harness is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out at that workplace any work at height to ensure that —| (a) | the system incorporates a suitable means of absorbing energy and limiting the forces applied to the user’s body; and | | (b) | in the event of a fall, there is enough fall clearance available to prevent the user from hitting an object, the ground or other surfaces. |
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12.—(1) Where any travel restraint system or any fall arrest system is to be used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out at the workplace any work at height to appoint a competent person for the purpose of inspecting the anchorage and anchorage line of the travel restraint system or fall arrest system.(2) It shall be the duty of the competent person appointed by a responsible person under paragraph (1) —| (a) | to inspect the anchorage and anchorage line of the travel restraint system or fall arrest system at the start of every work shift to ensure that they are in good working condition and are safe for use; | | (b) | to immediately remove from service any such anchorage or anchorage line which is found to be defective; | | (c) | to immediately enter the results of every inspection referred to in sub-paragraph (a) into a register containing such details as may be required by the Commissioner; and | | (d) | to provide the register to the responsible person before the end of the work shift. |
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(3) It shall be the duty of the responsible person referred to in paragraph (1) —| (a) | to keep each entry in the register referred to in paragraph (2)(c) for not less than 2 years from the date it is made; and | | (b) | to produce for inspection, upon request by any inspector, any entry in the register which is so requested to be inspected. |
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| (4) [Deleted by S 434/2024 wef 01/06/2024] |
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13. It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to ensure that every staircase in the workplace or every staircase which affords a means of exit from the workplace shall be provided and maintained with a substantial handrail and lower rail or other barrier to prevent any person falling, which —| (a) | if the staircase has an open side, shall be on that side; or | | (b) | if the staircase has 2 open sides, shall be on both sides. |
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| Safe means of access and egress between different working levels in building or structures |
14. Where in a workplace any person is required to carry out any work at height —| (a) | in or on an elevated place from which the person could fall; | | (b) | in the vicinity of an opening through which the person could fall; | | (c) | in the vicinity of an edge over which the person could fall; | | (d) | on a surface through which the person could fall; or | | (e) | in any other place (whether above or below ground) from which the person could fall, |
| it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure safe means of access to and egress from any area in the workplace referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e). |
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15.—(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to ensure that every teagle opening or similar doorway used for hoisting or lowering goods or materials in the workplace, whether by mechanical power or otherwise —| (a) | is securely fenced; and | | (b) | is provided with a secure handhold on each side of the opening or doorway. |
(2) It shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that every fencing referred to in paragraph (1) shall —| (a) | be properly maintained; and | | (b) | be kept in position, except when goods or materials are being hoisted or lowered at the opening or doorway. |
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16. Where in a workplace any person carries out any work on any roof from which he is liable to fall off or through a distance of more than 2 metres, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of that person —| (a) | to provide and maintain —| (i) | protection of the person against any sliding or falling from the roof (which may include crawler boards or roof brackets); and | | (ii) | sufficient and secured anchorage for the attachment of a full-body harness or a restraint belt, as the case may be, in the course of the person’s work; and |
| | (b) | to ensure that the person who carries out such work in that workplace uses the protection and anchorage referred to in paragraph (a). |
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17.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height to ensure that the person at work —| (a) | shall not pass across or near a fragile surface; and | | (b) | shall not work on, from or near a fragile surface, |
| where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work without him doing so. |
| (2) Where it is not reasonably practicable to carry out work at height safely without passing across or near, or working on, from or near, a fragile surface, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height to, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain suitable and sufficient platforms, covers, guard-rails or similar means of support or protection so that any foreseeable loading is supported by such supports or borne by such protection. |
(3) Where any person carrying out work at height may pass across or near, or work on, from or near, a fragile surface, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of that person to ensure —| (a) | that prominent warning notices are affixed at the approach to the place where the fragile surface is situated; or | | (b) | where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with sub-paragraph (a), that the person at work is made aware of it by other means. |
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18.—(1) Where a ladder is being used to carry out any work at height in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of the person who is carrying out or is to carry out the work to ensure that the requirements in paragraphs (2) to (6) are complied with.(2) Every ladder in a workplace shall —| (a) | be of good construction, sound material and adequate strength; | | (b) | be free from patent defects; and | | (c) | be suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is intended. |
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(3) The surface upon which any ladder (except for fixed ladders) rests or bears upon when used by a person shall —| (a) | be stable; | | (b) | be level and firm; and | | (c) | be of sufficient strength to safely support the ladder and any person and load intended to be placed on it. |
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| (4) Every ladder in a workplace shall be so positioned as to ensure its stability during use. |
| (5) Notwithstanding paragraph (4), every ladder which leans against a wall, building, structure or tree during use shall be securely fixed or lashed, or is firmly held by a person stationed at the foot of the ladder to prevent the ladder from slipping. [S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014] |
(6) Where a ladder is used for access or as a working place, the ladder shall rise, or adequate handhold shall be provided, to a height of at least one metre above —| (a) | the place of landing; or | | (b) | the highest rung to be reached by the feet of any person working on the ladder. |
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| (7) Where a fixed vertical ladder is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that the requirements in paragraphs (8), (9) and (10) are complied with. |
| (8) Every fixed vertical ladder or run of fixed vertical ladders used by any person carrying out any work which rises a vertical distance of over 9 metres shall, if practicable, be provided with an intermediate landing place so that the vertical distance between any 2 successive landing places does not exceed 9 metres. |
| (9) Every landing place referred to in paragraph (8) shall be provided with sufficient and suitable guard-rails or barriers to prevent falls. |
| (10) Where a fixed vertical ladder used by any person carrying out any work in a workplace rises a vertical distance of more than 3 metres, there shall be provided a safety cage or other practicable measures to prevent fall of the person. |
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