Why the falls continue

It’s one of the most stubborn and deadly safety challenges across South African industries. Why does elevated work continue to claim lives despite decades of regulation, training and technological advances? JULIA TEW investigates.

In South Africa, around eight workers are killed every month due to occupational health and safety failings, with falls from height consistently among the leading causes. The risk isn’t confined to traditional building sites. Today’s work at heights includes technicians climbing cell towers in remote areas, teams servicing wind turbines, inspectors accessing silos or rooftops and maintenance crews working from aerial platforms with limited on-site supervision.

The hazards are well known: falls from unprotected edges, falling objects, unstable surfaces, fatigue, weather exposure and the incorrect use of equipment. The legal consequences are equally clear: non-compliance can result in fines of up to R50,000 per violation, escalating to over R200,000 for serious breaches. Criminal liability is also a reality, with negligence leading to injury or death carrying potential prison sentences of up to two years. Add to that civil claims under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), possible civil litigation, prohibition notices that shut down sites and reputational damage that can follow companies for years. Despite all this, falls continue to happen.

Collaborate and communicate with workers

At the Health and Safety International (HSI) Working at Height Safety Summit in 2024, safety leaders explored why progress in this area remains frustratingly slow. One of the strongest voices was Kelly Nicholl, then-president of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in the UK, who has spent her career working directly with high-risk industries. 

“Two of the worst incidents I’ve ever had to deal with in my career have involved falls from height,” Nicholl told delegates. One of the biggest barriers to improvement, she argued, is how risk assessments and procedures are developed. Too often, they are created about workers, rather than with them. “They (workers) need to be involved in developing the standard operating procedures, the risk assessments and the method statements. They are the experts in that area,” she emphasised.

She also warned of complacency – not as a moral failing, but as a human response to constant exposure. “When you’re constantly exposed to a risk, you stop seeing it in the same way,” she noted. Repeating the same safety messaging without changing the conversation, she argued, leads to what she called an “insanity cycle”.

On the right side of the law

South African employers are legally required to manage work-at-height risks under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) No 85 of 1993. Section 8 places a clear duty on employers to identify hazards, implement controls and ensure appropriate training and supervision.

The Construction Regulations 2014 (Regulation 10) require a competent person to develop a fall protection plan for work conducted at two metres or more, including rescue procedures. General Safety Regulation 6 reinforces that work in elevated positions may only proceed when it is safe to do so, with appropriate protective measures in place. Crucially, liability extends beyond direct employees to contractors and subcontractors.

Internationally, there is growing recognition that competence – not just compliance – is a weak point. The British Safety Industry Federation has welcomed the introduction of BS 8681, a new standard focused on competence in the design, installation and inspection of fall protection systems. Unlike hardware-focused standards, it emphasises skills, experience and accountability – an approach with clear relevance for South African duty-holders managing complex supply chains.

From rules to reality

Effective height-safety strategies go beyond paperwork. They combine robust risk assessments, properly implemented fall-protection plans, accredited training, well-maintained SANS-compliant equipment and active supervision on site.

Training, in particular, is evolving. The Institute for Work at Height stresses that programmes must address not only technical skills, but also legal awareness, psychological preparedness and emergency-response capability.

Technology also has a role to play. French equipment manufacturer Haulotte recently launched FASTN, a system designed to ensure operators of aerial work platforms are correctly anchored before use. By actively monitoring lanyard attachment and providing visual and audible alerts, the system aims to reduce reliance on memory and habit – two common contributors to fatal mistakes. As Haulotte CEO Alexandre Saubot puts it, “By reinforcing the importance of harness use, we aim to significantly reduce falls and create safer job sites.”

The lesson is clear: preventing falls from height is about competence, human behaviour and designing systems that support workers when conditions are less than ideal. It’s also about knowing and following the rules. Until those elements are addressed together, working at heights will remain one of South Africa’s most persistent – and preventable – workplace risks.