Working At Height Risk Assessment Template for Australia

A Working At Height Risk Assessment is your essential tool for ensuring workplace safety compliance when conducting any work activities at elevation. This systematic evaluation process helps you identify potential hazards, assess risks, and implement appropriate control measures to protect workers from falls and height-related injuries. Under Australian law, you must complete this assessment before commencing any work where there's a risk of falling from one level to another that could cause harm.

When do you need this document?

You need a Working At Height Risk Assessment whenever work activities involve elevation risks in your workplace. This includes construction work on scaffolding, roofing repairs, maintenance of elevated equipment, installation of signage or lighting systems, and cleaning operations above ground level. The assessment is also required for temporary work platforms, ladder use beyond basic tasks, and any work involving fall protection systems. Whether you're managing a construction site, conducting building maintenance, or overseeing industrial operations, this assessment ensures you meet your duty of care obligations and protect workers from height-related hazards.

Key legal considerations

Your Working At Height Risk Assessment must demonstrate compliance with the hierarchy of risk controls, prioritising elimination of height work where possible, followed by engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment as the last resort. You must ensure all identified risks are properly assessed using a standardised risk matrix, and that control measures are proportionate to the level of risk identified. The assessment should detail specific fall protection systems required, emergency procedures, worker competency requirements, and equipment inspection protocols. You're also required to regularly review and update the assessment when work conditions change, new hazards emerge, or incidents occur that could affect the validity of your original risk evaluation.

Legal requirements in Australia

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011, you have specific legal obligations for managing height-related risks in your workplace. Chapter 4, Part 4.4 of the regulations requires you to ensure work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner using suitable equipment. You must comply with relevant Australian Standards including AS/NZS 1891 series for fall-arrest systems, AS/NZS 1657 for fixed access equipment, and AS/NZS 4488 for rope access systems. Your assessment must be conducted by a competent person with appropriate training and experience in height safety management. You're also required to provide adequate training, information, and supervision to workers, maintain equipment according to manufacturer specifications, and keep detailed records of all safety assessments and control measures implemented.