What does the law say?
In summary
- The employer limits the use of ladders as a workstation at height.
- The employer designates a competent person.
- Mandatory training for:
- workers who work on a scaffold
- workers who help with assembly, dismantling or modification
- competent persons
- from a height of 2 metres in Belgium
- Workers who use ropes to work at height must receive specific training on rescue operations.
- For aerial platforms, suspended platforms or cradles hanging from cranes, the rules for mobile work equipment apply.
Ladders
Legal text
“The employer limits the use of ladders, step ladders and platform ladders as a workstation at height to situations where the use of other, safer equipment is not justified.” Ladders may only be used as a workstation after a risk analysis, when no safer equipment is possible, in case of low risk and only for a short duration.
Working on and assembling scaffolds
Competent person
Working with ropes
Legal text
“Workers who use ropes to work at height receive adequate and specific training, in particular on the procedures for rescue operations.” This is done under the supervision of a competent person, only when no safer equipment is possible, non-systematically and in case of low risk.