Working at Heights JSA Template
This template breaks a working-at-heights task into eight sequential steps — from choosing the safest access method and checking edge protection, through harness and anchorage inspection, tool tethering and the work at the position, to controlled descent and close-out. Each step lists specific hazards, an initial risk rating, hierarchy-tagged controls and a residual rating, with the 2 metre fall threshold and suspended-worker rescue planning built in. Supplied as an editable Microsoft Word document you adapt to your site, plant and crew before use.
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This JSA covers a working-at-heights task from planning through to demobilisation: selecting the safest access method, verifying edge protection, inspecting the harness system and anchorages, connecting and transferring safely, tethering tools, performing the work at the position and descending under control. It is written for tasks where a person could fall from one level to another — including roofs, mezzanines, platforms and elevated plant — and builds in the 2 metre high-risk construction work threshold and the requirement for a documented rescue plan wherever a fall-arrest system is used.
Working at heights is one of the clearest SWMS triggers in Australian law: construction work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres is high risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, and a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts (Victoria imposes an equivalent duty under its OHS Regulations 2017). This JSA supports task planning, pre-starts and toolbox discussions, but it does not discharge the SWMS duty — where the 2 metre trigger applies, prepare a SWMS in addition and use this JSA to supplement it.
Hazards identified
16 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Arises at step: Plan the task, select the work method and prepare the rescue plan. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Plan the task, select the work method and prepare the rescue plan. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up exclusion zones and verify edge protection. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up exclusion zones and verify edge protection. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Inspect harness, lanyards and anchorages before use. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Inspect harness, lanyards and anchorages before use. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Access the work area and connect to the system. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Access the work area and connect to the system. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Tether tools, materials and equipment. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Tether tools, materials and equipment. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Carry out the work at the position. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Carry out the work at the position. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Carry out the work at the position. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Descend and exit the work area. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Demobilise, close penetrations and stand down the equipment. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Demobilise, close penetrations and stand down the equipment. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Eliminate the need to work at height where reasonably practicable — prefabricate components at ground level or use extendable tools operated from the ground
- 2Substitution — Select a scissor lift, boom-type EWP or scaffold with guardrails in preference to ladders for any task that needs two hands or more than a few minutes at height
- 3Administrative — Confirm ground conditions, weather and wind limits at the pre-start meeting before committing to the access method
- 4Administrative — Prepare a site-specific rescue plan and keep a rescue kit and a trained rescuer on site whenever fall arrest is used — the WHS Regulations require emergency procedures wherever a fall-arrest system is in place
- 5Administrative — Never permit a worker to use a fall-arrest system while working alone
- 6Engineering — Inspect guardrails, mid-rails and toeboards against AS/NZS 4994.1 before access; barricade and tag any deficient section until it is repaired
- 7Administrative — Only a competent person may install or alter edge protection; record the inspection on the pre-start checklist
- 8Isolation — Barricade a signed exclusion zone below the work area, sized for the drop height and possible deflection off structure
- 9Administrative — Appoint a spotter where the exclusion zone cannot be fully closed to pedestrians
- 10Administrative — Complete a documented pre-use inspection of harness, lanyard, energy absorber and connectors in accordance with AS/NZS 1891.4; quarantine and tag out any damaged item
- 11Administrative — Withdraw from service any equipment that has arrested a fall or has no legible identification or inspection tag
- 12Engineering — Connect only to engineered anchor points rated at 15 kN per person and certified for fall-arrest use
- 13Administrative — Have a competent person confirm the anchorage layout for the task before first connection
- 14Engineering — Secure ladders at the top and bottom, set at a 4:1 angle and extending 1 metre above the landing point
- 15Administrative — Maintain three points of contact on the ladder; raise tools by rope or tool bag, never carried in the hands
- 16Engineering — Use a twin-tail lanyard so one tail is always connected (100% tie-off) during every transfer
- 17Administrative — Connect to the system before entering any area within 2 metres of an unprotected edge
- 18Engineering — Fit tool lanyards to all hand tools and use closed-top lifting bags for loose fixings and offcuts
- 19Isolation — Keep the drop-zone exclusion barricades in place for the full duration of the task
- 20Administrative — Prohibit throwing or dropping any item to the level below
- 21Administrative — Anchor tool tethers to the harness or a static point and keep them short enough to stay clear of snag points and walkways
- 22Engineering — Anchor directly above the work position wherever practicable and re-anchor as the work moves rather than working at an angle to the anchor
- 23Administrative — Set the system up in restraint technique — so the worker physically cannot reach the fall edge — in preference to fall arrest
- 24Administrative — Calculate required fall clearance (lanyard length + absorber extension + worker height + safety margin) before selecting the anchor and record it on the JSA
- 25Engineering — Fit a self-retracting lifeline where the clearance below the anchor is limited
- 26Administrative — Schedule height work for cooler parts of the day, enforce hydration and rest breaks, and rotate workers on long tasks
- 27Administrative — Remain connected to the system until fully inside a guarded area or back at ground level; reverse the access sequence exactly
- 28Administrative — Descend ladders facing the ladder with three points of contact; lower tools by rope or tool bag first
- 29Engineering — Reinstate load-rated covers over penetrations, secure them against displacement and mark them clearly
- 30Administrative — Supervisor completes a close-out walk and signs off before the exclusion zone is removed
- 31Administrative — Log all height safety gear back in, record post-use condition, quarantine anything suspect, and store harnesses dry and out of direct sunlight
Applicable Codes of Practice
The fall-prevention hierarchy applied at each height-work step.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Working at heights is one of the clearest SWMS triggers in Australian law: construction work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres is high risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, and a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts (Victoria imposes an equivalent duty under its OHS Regulations 2017). This JSA supports task planning, pre-starts and toolbox discussions, but it does not discharge the SWMS duty — where the 2 metre trigger applies, prepare a SWMS in addition and use this JSA to supplement it.
Who this is for
- →Roofing, solar, guttering and facade contractors working above 2 metres
- →Builders and trade contractors carrying out short-duration height tasks
- →Maintenance and facilities teams accessing roofs, plant platforms and mezzanines
- →Supervisors and WHS coordinators who need a task-level JSA to sit alongside their SWMS
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) JSA template, professionally formatted and ready to brand
- ✓Eight pre-filled task steps covering access selection, edge protection checks, harness and anchorage inspection, tool tethering, the work at the position and controlled descent
- ✓Specific hazards with initial and residual risk ratings and hierarchy-of-control tagged controls for every step
- ✓PPE, training and emergency response sections, including suspended-worker rescue plan prompts
- ✓Worker sign-on table and document control fields for your company, project and review details
Worked example
This JSA covers a working-at-heights task from planning through to demobilisation: selecting the safest access method, verifying edge protection, inspecting the harness system and anchorages, connecting and transferring safely, tethering tools, performing the work at the position and descending under control. It is written for tasks where a person could fall from one level to another — including roofs, mezzanines, platforms and elevated plant — and builds in the 2 metre high-risk construction work threshold and the requirement for a documented rescue plan wherever a fall-arrest system is used.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations of your state or territory (in Victoria, the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017)
- How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice
- Where the task is high-risk construction work: the SWMS provisions of your jurisdiction (a JSA supplements, and does not replace, a required SWMS)
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a SWMS if I have this JSA?
In most cases, yes. Construction work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres is high risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, and a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts (in Victoria the equivalent duty sits under the OHS Regulations 2017). This JSA is a task-level planning tool that supplements a SWMS — it does not replace it or discharge the SWMS duty.
Does the 2 metre threshold mean falls below 2 metres need no controls?
No. The 2 metre figure is the trigger for the high risk construction work SWMS duty — the general duty to manage the risk of a fall from one level to another applies at any height. A fall from a 1.8 metre platform can still cause a serious head or spinal injury, so the hierarchy of fall controls applies whenever a person could fall from one level to another.
Can we just work off ladders instead of hiring an EWP or scaffold?
Only for light, short-duration tasks where three points of contact can be maintained. Ladders sit near the bottom of the fall-control hierarchy: they are not suitable for two-handed tool work, sustained tasks, or awkward reach positions. If the task needs both hands or more than a few minutes at height, this template directs you to a platform-based method such as a scaffold, scissor lift or EWP.
What must our rescue plan cover?
Wherever a fall-arrest system is used, the WHS Regulations require emergency procedures for rescuing a worker whose fall has been arrested. A workable plan names the rescue method (for example EWP retrieval or a haul/lower rescue kit), the equipment kept on site, who is trained to perform the rescue, how the alarm is raised, and target retrieval time — because suspension intolerance can develop within minutes. The template includes prompts for each of these.
Can I edit the template to suit our site and equipment?
Yes. It is supplied as a standard Microsoft Word (DOCX) file, so you can add or delete steps and hazards, adjust risk ratings to your own matrix, insert your logo and document control details, and rename equipment to match what your crew actually uses. It is a one-off purchase — edit and reuse it across your jobs.