WSHAC

WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE CHECKLIST

(WORKING AT HEIGHT)

Measures to be taken to prevent falls

Yes

No

Every open side or opening into or through which a person may fall shall be
covered or guarded by an effective barrier to prevent falls.

Open sides
Every open side of a staircase is provided with a substantial handrail and lower rail
or other effective means and maintained.

Hand/Foothold
Secure handhold and foothold is provided for any person who has to work at a
place from which he would be liable to fall:
(a) a distance of more than 2m; or
(b) into any substance which is likely to cause drowning or asphyxiation.

If item 3 is not practicable, other suitable means such as a safety harness or safety
belt shall be provided.

Anchorage
If a safety harness or safety belt is provided, then
a. there shall be sufficient and secured anchorage
b. the anchorage shall not be lower than the level of the working position of
the person wearing the harness or belt.

Risk of drowning
Person who is exposed to the risk of falling into water and of drowning shall be
provided with :
(a) equipment and means of rescue and resuscitation; and
(b) suitable life jackets or other equipment for keeping such person afloat.

Yes

No

Yes

No

Work on Steep Roofs

7

Where work is being performed on roofs having a gradient greater than 1/4, there
shall be provided protection against sliding.

Safety belt/safety harness/safety harness & Lifelines

8

Safety belt/safety harness, life lines and all devices for the attachment of life lines
shall be of adequate strength and of a type tested and approved by a testing body
(PSB).

Every safety belt/safety harness made available or supplied to any person for his
personal protection shall be used by the person in the performance of his work.

10

Anchorage
When the use of a safety belt/safety harness is necessary for a persons safety,
adequate and suitable means of anchorage for the safety belt/safety harness shall,
if practicable, be provided.

11

Where it is not practicable to comply with item 10, a life line securely attached to
sufficient anchorage shall be provided.

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12

At all times during use, the safety belt/safety harness shall be attached to an
anchorage or to a life line securely attached to one or more points of an anchorage.

13

The life line shall be longer than is required to permit a worker to perform his work
and the point or points of anchorage of the life line shall in no case be lower than
the level of his working position.

14

Instruction
Every employee who is provided with a safety belt/safety harness shall be
instructed in the proper method of wearing and using it, as well as attaching it to the
life line.

15

Life line
Padding, wrapping or similar means shall be provided to protect every life line from
contact with edges or objects which may cut or severely abrade it.

16

Inspection
Every safety belt/safety harness and every life line shall be inspected by a
designated person before use by an employee.

17

No employer shall suffer or permit an employee to use a safety belt/safety harness

or life line which shows any indication of wear, damage or deterioration likely to
affect its strength and no such safety belt/safety harness or life line shall be kept on
the worksite.

Yes

No

Safety Nets
18

Every safety net shall be of a type tested and approved by a testing body (PSB).

19

Every safety net or combination of safety nets shall be of sufficient size and
strength to catch any person for whose protection it is used and so located as to
cover the area of possible fall.

20

Every safety net shall be attached to sufficient anchorages or supports outside and
beyond the area of possible fall and supported at a height sufficient to prevent
sagging to any surface or object beneath when cushioning the fall of a person.

Yes

No

Construction of Ladders and Step-Ladders

21

Construction
Every ladder and step-ladder shall be of good construction, sound material and
adequate strength for the purpose for which it is used.

22

Rise/handhold
Where a ladder is used as a means of communication or as a working place, the
ladder shall rise or adequate handhold shall be provided to a height of at least one
metre above the place of landing of the highest rung to be reached by the feet of
any person working on the ladder, as the case may be, or if that is impracticable to
the greatest practicable height.

23

Footing
Ladders or step-ladders shall not stand on loose bricks or other loose packing, but
shall have a level and firm footing.

24

Securely Fixed
Every ladder shall so far as practicable be securely fixed so that it can move neither
from its top nor from its bottom points of rest.

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WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

25

If the ladder cannot be so securely fixed, it shall where practicable be securely fixed
at the base or if such fixing at the base is impracticable, a person shall be stationed
at the base of the ladder to prevent slipping or falling.

26

Item 25 shall not apply to a ladder less than 3 metres in length and not used as a
means of communication if it is securely placed so as to prevent it from slipping or
falling.

27

Secured
Every ladder shall be
(a) secured so as to prevent undue swaying;
(b) equally and properly supported on each upright;
(c) so used as not to cause undue sagging; and
(d) placed as nearly as possible at an inclination of 4 in one.

28

Landing place
Every ladder or run of ladders rising 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 shall not exceed 9 metres.

29

Every landing place shall be of adequate dimensions and, if a person is liable to fall
therefrom for a distance of more than 3 metres, shall, except in so far as that is not
reasonably practicable, be provided with sufficient and suitable guardrails to a
height of at least one metre above the landing place.

30

Opening
Where a ladder passes through an opening in the floor of a landing place, the
opening shall be as small as it is reasonably practicable.

31

Rungs
No ladder shall be used which has
(a) a missing or defective rung; or
(b) any rung which depends for its support solely on nails, spikes or other similar
fixing.

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Trench Excavation
32

Piling, shoring and bracing used in a trench excavation to protect persons against
falling or sliding material shall be of adequate strength.

Training
33

Duty of employer to ensure that workers have adequate instruction, information,

training and supervision as is necessary for that person to perform his work.

WSH (RISK MANAGEMENT) Regulations

34

Risk assessment has been conducted and documented for work at height.

35

All reasonably practicable steps been taken to eliminate any foreseeable risk.

36

Record of the risk assessment is maintained.

Records shall be kept for a period of not less than 3 years.

37

Persons exposed to risks are informed of the nature and safe work procedures are
implemented to eliminate and control these risks.

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WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

38

The risk assessment should be reviewed and revised at least once every 3 years;
and upon the occurrence of any bodily injury or significant change in work practices
or procedures.

For further information, please refer to the ProBE Technical Advisory for Falling From Height.
Note: This checklist is however only a basic compliance assistance toolkit and is not exhaustive. It only
provides a general overview of the basic compliance items. It is envisaged that you may need to make
further customisation or modification to the checklist to cater for the specific processes and conditions in
your workplaces.

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