Working at heights permit template
A working at heights permit is a short form a supervisor completes and signs before work at height starts, confirming the fall controls, equipment, licences and rescue plan are in place for that job on that day. No WHS regulation requires a permit by name; many principal contractors require one as part of their permit to work system. What the law does require is that the risk of falls is managed (WHS Regulations regs 78 and 79) and, where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres, a SWMS before the work starts (reg 299).
Working at heights permit template
Company: ____________
Site: ____________
Date: ____________
Permit details
| Permit number: ____________ | N/A · Action | |
| Work location and exact area: ____________ | N/A · Action | |
| Description of the work at height: ____________ | N/A · Action | |
| Maximum height a person could fall: ____ m | N/A · Action | |
| Valid from (date and time): ____________ to: ____________ | N/A · Action | |
| Permit issued to (supervisor or leading hand): ____________ | N/A · Action |
Before work starts
| Could the work be done on the ground or from a solid construction instead? If yes, do that and do not issue the permit | N/A · Action | |
| Fall over 2 m possible: a SWMS covering this work is on site and the crew has been through it | N/A · Action | |
| Fall control chosen in this order: fall prevention device (guardrails, scaffold, EWP, edge protection), then work positioning system, then fall arrest system | N/A · Action | |
| Reason the higher-order controls were not reasonably practicable is recorded (if a work positioning or fall arrest system is used) | N/A · Action | |
| Ladders only for light, short-duration work, set up on firm ground and secured | N/A · Action | |
| Area below barricaded and signed against falling objects; tools tethered or contained | N/A · Action | |
| Overhead power lines checked and approach distances for this state confirmed | N/A · Action | |
| Weather checked: wind, rain, heat and lightning | N/A · Action |
Equipment and licences
| Scaffold: erected by a licensed scaffolder where a person or object could fall more than 4 m, and handover certificate or scaffold tag in place | N/A · Action | |
| EWP: pre-start check done; a high risk work licence held for a boom-type EWP with a boom of 11 m or more | N/A · Action | |
| Harnesses, lanyards and anchor points inspected and in date; anchor rated for the load | N/A · Action | |
| Workers trained in the equipment they will use | N/A · Action |
Rescue plan
| Rescue procedure written for this work, with rescue equipment on site (required where a fall arrest system is used, reg 80) | N/A · Action | |
| A rescuer who knows the procedure is on site whenever someone is in a harness | N/A · Action | |
| No one works at height alone | N/A · Action | |
| Emergency contacts and site address posted: Triple Zero 000 (112 from a mobile) | N/A · Action |
Close-out
| Work complete, area left safe, edge protection and barricades back in place or removed as planned | N/A · Action | |
| Equipment checked and stored; defects reported | N/A · Action | |
| Permit closed and signed by the issuer: ____________ | N/A · Action |
Completed by: ____________________
Signature: ____________________
swmspack.com · Free printable checklist. Not legal advice; adapt to your site.
Common questions
▸Is a working at heights permit a legal requirement in Australia?
Not by name. The WHS Regulations require you to manage the risk of falls (regs 78 and 79) and, where a person could fall more than 2 metres, to prepare a SWMS before the work starts (reg 299). A permit is a site control many principal contractors use on top of that.
▸Do I need a SWMS and a heights permit?
Often both. The SWMS is the legal document for the high risk construction work and covers how the job will be done. The permit is the day-of check that the controls in the SWMS are actually in place before anyone goes up.
▸Who signs a working at heights permit?
Usually the supervisor or permit issuer authorises it, the person in charge of the crew accepts it, and the issuer signs it closed when the work is finished. Follow the principal contractor's permit system where there is one.
▸When must there be a rescue plan for work at height?
Where a fall arrest system is used, emergency and rescue procedures must be established (reg 80). A harness only arrests the fall; someone left hanging needs to be reached quickly, so plan the rescue before work starts.
Falls over 2 m need a SWMS as well as the permit.
A checklist confirms controls are in place; a SWMS is the document the law requires before high risk construction work starts. Generate a site-specific one for your trade.