Code of practice: Prevention of falls in housing construction

What it contains

If you work in the housing construction industry, there are specific duties and obligations you need to comply with under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) 2004 and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (OHS Regulations) 2017. If your work involves general construction, see the Prevention of falls in general construction compliance code.

On 1 July 2005, the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1985 was repealed and replaced by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. The new Act does not provide for making codes of practice. Therefore, complying with a code of practice may not necessarily mean compliance with a duty under the new Act.

This code of practice has been made available as a source of practical guidance, and will contribute to industry state of knowledge and assist those who must comply with health and safety laws.

This information is particularly relevant for you if you’re an employer, self-employed person, principal contractor or someone who has management or control of a workplace in the housing construction industry. It is also relevant for employees and health and safety representatives. It uses examples and tools you can apply to your own situation.

It includes information on:

• who has duties for the prevention of falls in housing construction
• how to control risks associated with falls from more than 2 metres
• how to control risks associated with falls from 2 metres or less
• examples and technical information for a range of housing construction scenarios