The Mid North Coast Safety Handbook – Edition 4

The Four-Metre Myth: Why Working at Heights Starts Closer to the Ground Than You Think

"It's not that high."

It's one of the most dangerous sentences that can be spoken on a construction site.

A worker is standing on a roof.

Someone is climbing a ladder.

A tradesperson is working from a scaffold.

A worker is near an open edge or void.

And because the distance to the ground doesn't look particularly significant, the risk can be underestimated.

But a fall doesn't need to happen from a high-rise building to cause a serious injury.

In fact, SafeWork NSW says most serious and fatal falls in construction are from roofs, ladders, scaffolds, voids and building edges — and many occur from heights of less than four metres. NSW WHS laws require businesses to protect workers from falling from one level to another, regardless of the height.

Welcome to Edition 4 of The Mid North Coast Safety Handbook.

This time, we're looking at working at heights — and why the safest approach isn't simply to ask "How high is it?"

The better question is:

"What could happen if someone falls?"

The Four-Metre Myth

There is a common misconception that working at heights only becomes a serious safety issue once a worker is above four metres.

That's not how the requirement works.

SafeWork NSW states that workers must be protected from the risk of falling from one level to another where the fall is likely to cause injury, regardless of the height. For construction work where a person could fall more than two metres, a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is required for the relevant high-risk construction work.

The important distinction is this:

Four metres isn't a "safe" height.

A fall from two metres can cause a serious injury.

A fall from a ladder can result in a broken bone, spinal injury or head injury.

A fall onto concrete, steel, machinery or other structures can make even a relatively short fall catastrophic.

And the consequences aren't limited to the person who falls.

A worker falling from height can also strike another person, damage equipment or create additional hazards for everyone on site.

Why Falls Continue to Happen

Falls are rarely caused by one single thing.

Often, several small decisions combine.

• The ladder is being used because it's quicker.

• The scaffold hasn't been checked.

• The edge protection has been removed.

• The opening has been left uncovered.

• The work platform isn't available yet.

• The job has changed since the SWMS was prepared.

• The worker is trying to finish a task before moving to the next stage.

• The weather has changed.

• The right equipment isn't available.

• The job was planned one way — but the work is now being done another way.

• This is why working at heights needs to be actively managed throughout the job.

A SWMS sitting in the site office doesn't prevent a fall.

The controls being used on the job do.

SafeWork NSW's construction guidance emphasises planning, consultation, appropriate equipment and ensuring controls are in place at the correct stage of the work.

Start on the Ground

The safest way to work at height is often not to work at height at all.

That sounds obvious.

But it can be overlooked when we're focused on getting the job done.

The hierarchy of controls places elimination at the top because removing the hazard altogether provides the highest level of protection. For falls, that can mean carrying out work at ground level wherever reasonably practicable.

Could the work be:

• Prefabricated at ground level?

• Assembled before being lifted?

• Completed using tools with extended handles?

• Completed from a temporary work platform?

• Accessed from inside rather than from a roof?

• Completed using equipment that eliminates the need to climb?

Sometimes a small change during planning can eliminate an entire fall risk.

The best fall protection is the fall that never becomes possible.

The Hierarchy of Controls Matters

When work at height cannot be eliminated, the next question is:

How can we prevent the fall?

SafeWork NSW guidance places higher-order fall prevention measures ahead of fall arrest systems. These can include:

• Working from the ground

• Solid construction

• Temporary work platforms

• Guardrails

• Edge protection

• Scaffolding

• Appropriate work positioning systems

Fall arrest systems, such as harness-based systems, may be necessary where higher-order controls are not reasonably practicable.

This is an important distinction.

A harness can be an essential safety device.

But a harness doesn't make an otherwise unsafe work area safe.

If a worker can safely complete the task from a properly designed work platform with edge protection, that may provide a higher level of protection than relying on a harness to arrest a fall after it has already happened.

Prevent the fall before you have to arrest it.

Ladders: Convenient Doesn't Mean Safe

Ladders are everywhere.

They are familiar.

They're easy to move.

And they're often the first thing someone reaches for when a task is only going to take a few minutes.

That's exactly why ladder safety deserves attention.

SafeWork NSW recommends considering whether there is a safer alternative to a ladder, such as a work platform. Ladders should be used for appropriate activities, including short-duration work and access and egress, where suitable.

Before using a ladder, ask:

Is a ladder actually the right equipment for this task?

If it is:

• Is it in good condition?

• Is it suitable for the task?

• Is it industrial rated?

• Is it positioned on firm, stable and level ground?

• Is an extension ladder correctly positioned?

• Is it secured where required?

• Can the worker maintain three points of contact?

• Will the worker need to overreach?

• Are they carrying something that prevents safe climbing?

• Could a work platform be safer?

SafeWork NSW guidance recommends the 1:4 setup ratio for extension ladders, securing the ladder appropriately and maintaining three points of contact.

And if the worker has to stand on the top steps or lean dramatically to one side to reach the work?

That's not a ladder problem.

That's a sign the equipment may be wrong for the job.

Roof Work Deserves Respect

Roof work is one of the most obvious working-at-height hazards, but familiarity can make it deceptively dangerous.

A roof can look perfectly safe from the ground.

Once a worker is on it, the risks can change quickly.

Consider:

• Roof pitch

• Fragile roofing materials

• Unprotected edges

• Roof penetrations

• Skylights

• Weather conditions

• Wet surfaces

• Access and egress

• Tools and materials

• Electrical hazards

• Falling objects

• Other workers below

A roof doesn't have to be particularly steep to create a serious fall risk.

And a roof doesn't have to be particularly high to cause a life-changing injury.

Before anyone gets onto a roof, the work should be planned around the actual conditions rather than simply relying on workers to "take care".

Scaffolding Isn't Just Something You Climb On

Scaffolding is an important fall prevention control.

But it is only effective when it is correctly selected, erected, maintained and used.

SafeWork NSW states that only appropriately licensed scaffolders can erect, alter or dismantle certain scaffolds where the risk of a person or object falling is more than four metres.

Workers should never assume that because a scaffold is standing, it is ready to use.

Before stepping onto a scaffold, consider:

• Is it complete?

• Is it suitable for the task?

• Is it stable?

• Is edge protection installed where required?

• Has it been inspected?

• Is there a safe means of access?

• Has anything been removed or altered?

• Are there gaps or incomplete sections?

• Are workers prevented from accessing incomplete scaffolds?

A scaffold can provide excellent fall protection.

But an incomplete or improperly altered scaffold can introduce a completely different risk.

Voids and Temporary Platforms

Some of the most serious fall risks aren't obvious from the outside of a building.

Lift shafts.

Stair voids.

Service openings.

Floor penetrations.

Temporary platforms.

SafeWork NSW issued a safety alert in February 2026 following three incidents involving temporary working platforms in lift shafts. The incidents resulted in workers falling from height and sustaining serious injuries, including one worker who fell approximately eight metres when a temporary platform collapsed.

This is a powerful reminder that temporary structures need the same level of attention as permanent structures.

If someone is relying on a temporary platform to stand, work or move around, ask:

Who designed it?

How is it supported?

Has it been inspected?

Is it suitable for the intended load?

What happens if something changes?

Can workers access the area safely?

Temporary doesn't mean unimportant.

What Happens If the Fall Protection Fails?

This is where Edition 2 of our handbook comes back into the conversation.

Remember our discussion about emergency preparedness?

Working-at-height planning should include what happens if something goes wrong.

If a worker falls into a harness and is suspended:

• Who raises the alarm?

• Who contacts emergency services?

• Who is trained to respond?

• How will the worker be reached?

• What rescue equipment is available?

• Can emergency services access the location?

• What happens if the incident occurs in a confined or difficult-to-access area?

• Has the rescue procedure actually been practised?

SafeWork NSW guidance emphasises that emergency and rescue procedures need to be considered when using fall restraint or fall arrest systems.

A harness without a rescue plan is not a complete emergency system.

Don't Let the Schedule Become the Hazard

Construction is time-sensitive.

Materials arrive.

Trades are booked.

Weather changes.

Clients want progress.

Subcontractors are waiting.

Everyone has a deadline.

But one of the most dangerous moments on a construction site can be when someone decides:

"We'll just do it quickly."

That phrase has led to ladders being used instead of platforms.

Guardrails being removed.

Workers climbing where they shouldn't.

Tasks being completed without the correct equipment.

A job that was planned safely becoming a job that is completed differently because the right equipment isn't immediately available.

SafeWork NSW's current 2026–27 regulatory priorities specifically include falls from heights, and the regulator says these remain among the leading contributors to serious injuries and fatalities in NSW workplaces.

The deadline doesn't change the hazard.

It only changes the pressure to ignore it.

Five Questions Before Starting Work at Height

Before the work begins, ask the crew:

1. Can we do this job from the ground?

If yes, that's worth serious consideration.

2. What could cause someone to fall?

Don't just look at the height. Look at edges, openings, surfaces, access, equipment and changing conditions.

3. What will physically prevent the fall?

Look for higher-order controls before relying on fall arrest.

4. Is the equipment actually right for the job?

A ladder isn't automatically the right answer because one is nearby.

5. If someone falls, how will we rescue them?

If the answer is unclear, the work isn't ready to start.

A Five-Minute Height Safety Check

Before starting work, walk through the area and ask:

• Have all fall hazards been identified?

• Can the work be completed from ground level?

• Is the safest reasonably practicable control being used?

• Are edges and openings protected?

• Are platforms and scaffolds suitable and complete?

• Are ladders appropriate for the task?

• Is equipment inspected and in good condition?

• Are workers familiar with the SWMS and site controls?

• Have conditions changed since the work was planned?

• Are emergency and rescue procedures understood?

• Is everyone involved trained and competent for the work they are undertaking?

If something changes during the job, stop and reassess.

A safe plan at 8:00 am may not be a safe plan at 2:00 pm.

Working at Heights Is a Planning Issue

It's easy to think of height safety as an equipment issue.

Harnesses.

Ladders.

Scaffolds.

Guardrails.

Anchors.

But the equipment is only part of the picture.

The strongest height safety systems start before the worker climbs.

They consider:

The task.

The environment.

The equipment.

The worker.

The controls.

The rescue plan.

And what happens when the job changes.

SafeWork NSW's working-at-heights checklist similarly puts planning, consultation, communication and having the appropriate safety equipment available at the correct stage of the work at the centre of fall prevention.

The Mid North Coast Reality

Across Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Kempsey, Taree, Crescent Head, Bonny Hills and the wider Mid North Coast, trades and construction crews work across constantly changing environments.

Renovations.

New builds.

Commercial projects.

Maintenance.

Roofing.

Electrical work.

Plumbing.

Solar installations.

Painting.

Tree work.

Industrial maintenance.

The job may be different, but the principle is the same:

If there is a risk of falling, the risk needs to be managed before the work starts.

Don't let familiarity make the hazard invisible.

Don't let a deadline become the reason a control is skipped.

And don't assume that because someone has done the job a hundred times, the next time can't go wrong.

Training Is Part of the Control

Workers need more than equipment.

They need to understand the hazards they are dealing with, the control measures being used and how to safely use the equipment provided.

That includes understanding:

• Fall prevention systems

• Safe access and egress

• Harnesses and fall protection equipment

• Equipment inspection

• Ladder safety

• Rescue procedures

• Site-specific risks

• Changes in conditions

Training should support the systems being used on site — not sit separately from them.

The goal isn't simply to give someone a certificate.

The goal is for the worker to recognise the hazard before it becomes an incident.

The Mid North Coast Safety Handbook

This is Edition 4 of The Mid North Coast Safety Handbook, SALT Training Academy's ongoing series of practical safety information for businesses, workers and organisations across our region.

So far, we've looked at:

Edition 1: Construction safety and the fundamentals of creating safer worksites.

Edition 2: Emergency preparedness and what happens when something goes wrong.

Edition 3: Silica exposure and the dust you can't see.

Edition 4: Working at heights and why the safest height is often the ground.

Our goal with this series is simple:

Practical safety information for the people who work here, live here and keep the Mid North Coast moving.

Because safety isn't just about having the right paperwork.

It's about making the right decision when the work is happening.

And sometimes, the safest decision is simply:

Stop. Reassess. Get the right equipment. Then start.

Practical Training for Safer Workplaces

SALT Training Academy provides workplace and public training across Port Macquarie and the Mid North Coast, including Working Safely at Heights, First Aid, CPR, White Card and Low Voltage Rescue.

We can also bring training to your workplace through our mobile training capability.

Training and assessment delivered on behalf of Allens Training Pty Ltd RTO 90909.