Working platform

The term 'working platform' is defined by the Work at Height Regulations 2005 as: '...any platform used as a place of work or as a means of access to or egress from a place of work', including: '...any scaffold, suspended scaffold, cradle, mobile platform, trestle, gangway, gantry and stairway which is so used.'

Before the 2005 Regulations, working platforms were defined as fully-boarded platforms with handrails and toe boards.

For a platform to be suitable for working at height, it must be:

• Of sufficient size to allow safe passage and use of equipment and materials.
• Free from trip hazards or gaps.
• Clean and tidy.
• Fitted with handrails and toe boards if necessary.
• Not overloaded (this is particularly relevant to trestles that are loaded with blockwork).
• Erected on firm level ground to ensure equipment remains stable.

Before working platforms are used they must be inspected carefully to ensure they are fit for purpose and have been properly assembled or installed. If a platform is exposed to conditions that are liable to result in danger or damage, then it must continue to be inspected at regular intervals.

See also: Working platforms for tracked plant: good practice guide to the design, installation, maintenance and repair of ground-supported working platforms.

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