Working at heights
- Medicals in just 45 minutes
- Save time and money by combining with drug and alcohol testing
- Walk in Centres with the added flexibility of portable equipment for external locations
- Able to schedule appointments quickly to meet urgent needs
- Expert sample collection service with full chain of custody procedures
Any employee who works at heights needs to be fit to do so. Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries. Common cases include falls from ladders and through fragile surfaces. The term ‘Work at height’ means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury (such as falling from a ladder or through a fragile roof).
It is estimated that the annual cost to society of accidents caused by falls is in the region of more than £300 million, primarily in terms of personal suffering, but also including medical costs, costs to employers, lost output and damage to equipment. The construction industry alone accounts for half of all falls from height incidents.
This medical assessment is designed to ensure that anyone working at heights is fit to do safely and does not have a medical condition which could result in injury to themselves or others. Examples of these roles include:
- Scaffolders
- Riggers
- Roof work
- Work involving ladders, stepladders, harnesses and elevated working platforms
See also Confined space and Safety Critical medical assessments.
In 2018/19, 40 fatal injuries to workers were due to falls from a height (HSE, 2019)
Working at height tests
| General health questionnaire | Weight | |
| Drug and alcohol testing | BMI | |
| Snellen (eye) | Blood pressure | |
| Peripheral vision | Musculoskeletal | |
| Audiometry (hearing test) | Mental health | |
| Lung function | Chester step | |
| Urinalysis | Grip strength | |
| Height | Cholesterol |
