We here at Kentec Training have always believed that safety should be the number one priority when working at height, and the legal requirements laid out by the 2005 Work At Height Regulations have helped to save countless lives. Despite this, falls from height are still the most common cause of workplace fatalities, with over 700 incidents since the introduction of the regulations in 2005.

The Access Industry Forum (AIF), composed of ten of the principal trade associations and federations involved in work at height, object to the government’s plan to revoke this regulation in their upcoming Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) bill, which will rescind over 2,400 EU-derived laws and legislation that remain post-Brexit, one of which being the 2005 Work at Height Regulations. Should the bill come to pass, the regulations will effectively be axed from the 1st January 2024 onwards; further weakening the protections put in place 18 years ago.

But what can be done about it?

The Access Industry Forum has submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee, urging the committee to act now to exclude the Work at Height Regulations from the repeal. You yourself can help by writing to your local MP and ask them to push for the Work at Height Regulations to be assimilated into UK law and excluded from ‘sunset clauses’ within the EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

It is crucial that we act now, while we can. Especially since the bill allows for any potential replacement regulations to be made less burdensome to UK industries, but not more burdensome, effectively guaranteeing poorer standards in work at height safety. It is up to those affected by the repeal of these laws who must make their voice heard. The message is clear: we must ensure the 2005 Work at Height Regulations remain in place to prevent a needless increase in accidents related to work at height.