Working at Height in Malaysia: Regulations, HIRARC and Equipment Guide

Last reviewed: July 2026

Work at height includes much more than working on the roof of a tall building. A worker may be exposed to a serious fall risk while using a ladder, working beside a floor opening, accessing a mezzanine, maintaining machinery on an elevated platform or working above a fragile surface.

Malaysian employers, principals and contractors must identify these hazards, assess the risks and implement suitable controls before work begins. Providing a safety harness alone does not automatically make the activity safe or compliant.

This guide explains the current Malaysian regulatory framework, how to assess working-at-height risks and how to select suitable access and fall-protection equipment. It is intended for employers, HSE teams, procurement personnel, contractors and project teams planning work at height in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, energy, marine and other industrial environments.

Quick answer: What should an employer or project team do?

Before allowing employees or contractors to work where they could fall, the responsible organisation should complete the following steps:

1. Identify the work-at-height hazards and the people who may be affected.
2. Conduct and document a suitable task-specific risk assessment.
3. Avoid working at height where reasonably practicable.
4. Prioritise collective protection such as guarded platforms, edge protection and suitable access systems.
5. Select access and personal fall-protection equipment suitable for the task and environment.
6. Verify fall clearance, anchorage, component compatibility and possible swing-fall exposure.
7. Ensure workers have the necessary information, instruction, competency and supervision.
8. Inspect, maintain, store and control the equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the risk assessment.
9. Control falling tools, materials and access to the area below.
10. Establish a practicable emergency and rescue procedure before work starts.

Section 18B of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 requires employers, self-employed persons and principals to conduct risk assessments in relation to the safety and health risks created by their undertaking and to implement risk controls where required.

What counts as working at height in Malaysia?

Malaysia does not use one simple statutory definition that covers every working-at-height situation. DOSH Working at Heights guidance explains the concept by referring to work in a place where a person could fall from one level to another and suffer personal injury if suitable precautions were not taken.

In practical terms, working at height may include work:

• On roofs, canopies and fragile surfaces
• On ladders, step ladders and mobile ladder systems
• On scaffolds, mobile towers and temporary work platforms
• On elevated platforms, mezzanines and walkways
• Beside floor openings, shafts, excavations or unprotected edges
• On transmission towers, structural steel and industrial structures
• From scissor lifts, boom lifts and other mobile elevated work platforms
• On top of tanks, vehicles, vessels, machinery or containers
• Below ground level where a person could fall into an opening or from one level to another

Is there a two-metre rule in Malaysia?

A fixed height should not be treated as a blanket exemption from fall-risk assessment. Older Malaysian regulations contained particular measurements for certain construction situations. However, the Factories and Machinery Act 1967 and the regulations made under it were repealed when the Factories and Machinery (Repeal) Act 2022 came into operation on 1 June 2024.

The safer and more defensible approach is to assess whether the person could be injured, considering the possible fall distance and the environment below. A relatively short fall onto concrete, machinery, sharp objects, moving vehicles, hazardous substances or exposed reinforcement may result in severe harm.

The assessment should consider:

• The possible fall distance and trajectory
• The surface, machinery or materials below
• Open edges, floor openings and fragile surfaces
• The worker’s position, movement and ability to maintain balance
• Tools, materials and loads being handled
• Wind, rain, lighting, heat and other environmental conditions
• Access, egress and rescue difficulty

Current Malaysian regulatory framework

1. Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994

The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, updated as at 1 June 2024, is the principal workplace safety legislation applying across most Malaysian workplaces.

Section 15 places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is practicable, the safety, health and welfare of employees. This includes safe plant and systems of work, necessary information, instruction, training and supervision, safe access and egress, and appropriate workplace arrangements.

For working at height, these general duties support the need for proper planning, safe access, suitable physical controls, competent workers, maintained equipment and emergency arrangements.

2. Risk assessment under Section 18B

Section 18B requires every employer, self-employed person or principal to conduct a risk assessment in relation to the safety and health risks posed to any person who may be affected by the undertaking at the workplace. When the assessment shows that controls are required, those controls must be implemented.

For work at height, a task-specific HIRARC or another suitable documented assessment should be completed before the activity begins and reviewed whenever the task, environment, equipment or personnel change.

3. Duties involving contractors and principals

The amended Act includes duties for principals in relation to contractors, subcontractors and their employees where the work is carried out under the principal’s direction. Awarding the task to a contractor does not automatically remove the need for proper contractor selection, coordination, information sharing and oversight.

4. Construction Work (Design and Management) Regulations 2024

The Occupational Safety and Health (Construction Work) (Design and Management) Regulations 2024 came into operation on 1 June 2024 and apply to places of work where a construction project is carried out.

The scope of construction work is broad and can include construction, alteration, renovation, repair, maintenance, fitting out, commissioning, demolition and the installation or removal of building services. The regulations establish duties for project stakeholders such as clients, designers and construction contractors.

Depending on the project and duty holder, relevant requirements include:

• Planning and managing construction safety and health risks
• Providing and communicating pre-construction information
• Preparing and implementing construction-phase safety and health arrangements
• Coordinating duties among clients, designers and contractors
• Providing safe access and egress
• Protecting floor openings and other fall hazards
• Establishing arrangements for foreseeable emergencies
• Appointing required safety and health personnel, including a site safety supervisor where applicable

DOSH also publishes an official FAQ on the CDM Regulations 2024 that can assist duty holders in understanding their roles.

5. DOSH guidance and HIRARC

DOSH working-at-height guidance recommends a three-stage approach: avoid working at height where practicable, prevent falls where the work cannot be avoided, and minimise fall distance and consequences where the risk cannot be completely prevented.

The DOSH Guidelines for Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) provide a structured method for identifying hazards, evaluating risk and selecting controls.

Conducting a working-at-height HIRARC

A general project risk assessment may not be detailed enough for a specific working-at-height activity. The assessment should examine the actual task, work area, access method, equipment configuration, environmental conditions and rescue arrangements.

The assessment should answer questions such as:

• Can the task be completed from ground level or redesigned to remove the need to work at height?
• How will workers reach and leave the work area safely?
• Are there open edges, holes, fragile surfaces or changes in level?
• Can guardrails, covers, a protected platform or other collective protection be installed?
• Is a ladder, scaffold, MEWP or another access system most suitable?
• Is the planned system fall restraint, fall arrest, work positioning or access equipment?
• Where are the verified anchor points, and who approved them?
• Is there adequate clearance below the user for the selected equipment?
• Could the anchor position create a swing fall?
• Are all components compatible and used within the manufacturer’s limitations?
• Could tools, materials or debris fall onto people or equipment below?
• Could wind, rain, heat, lightning, poor visibility or contamination affect the task?
• How will a suspended or injured worker be rescued?
• Who is responsible for supervision, inspection and stopping the work if conditions change?

The HIRARC should be reviewed after design changes, changes in equipment, incidents, near misses, adverse weather or other significant changes in site conditions.

Apply the hierarchy of controls

Personal fall-protection equipment is important, but it should not be the first or only control considered. Collective controls generally protect more people and depend less on each individual making a correct connection every time.

Collective fall-protection systems

Guardrails and edge protection

Guardrails may be permanent or temporary and should prevent workers from reaching or falling over an exposed edge. A complete system may include top rails, intermediate protection, toe boards, secure posts, suitable fixings and controlled access points.

The system must be suitable for the expected loading and installed according to its design, applicable requirements and manufacturer instructions.

Protected work platforms and scaffolds

For prolonged tasks, a properly planned work platform is generally safer than relying on a ladder. Scaffold systems should be suitable for the intended work, established on a stable base, provided with safe access and protected at open sides and ends.

Scaffolds should also be:

• Erected, altered and dismantled under appropriate competent supervision
• Inspected under the site’s established inspection procedure
• Kept within the system designer’s or manufacturer’s load limits
• Maintained complete and free from unauthorised alterations

Incomplete scaffolds, improvised platforms and loose materials should never be used as elevated work surfaces.

Mobile elevated work platforms

Scissor lifts and boom lifts can provide protected access where their use is suitable for the ground conditions, access route and work area. The risk assessment should consider operator competency, machine type, ground strength, slopes, overhead obstructions, electrical hazards, weather limitations and emergency lowering procedures.

Whether a harness or another personal system is required in the platform depends on the machine, application, manufacturer instructions and site risk assessment.

Floor-opening covers and barriers

Floor openings should be guarded or securely covered. A cover should resist foreseeable loads, be secured against displacement, remain clearly identifiable, avoid creating an additional trip hazard and be inspected as site conditions change.

Safety nets

Safety nets may form part of a collective fall-protection solution where fall prevention cannot be fully achieved. Their design, positioning, installation, inspection and required clearance should be determined by persons competent in the particular net system.

Personal fall-protection systems

Where collective controls do not adequately manage the risk, a properly selected personal system may be required. For a practical overview of the main connecting components, see Haisar’s guide to lanyards, lifelines and anchor points.

Fall restraint versus fall arrest

These systems are not interchangeable.

Fall restraint. A restraint system is configured to prevent the user from reaching the fall hazard. For example, a worker may wear a full-body harness connected to a suitable anchor by an adjusted lanyard that stops the worker before reaching an unprotected roof edge. Because the user should not be able to fall, restraint is generally preferable to fall arrest where the work area and anchor position make it practicable.

Fall arrest. A fall-arrest system allows the user to enter an area where a fall could occur, but the complete system is intended to stop the fall before the user contacts the ground, a lower level or another obstruction. It requires suitable components, adequate clearance, appropriate anchorage and a rescue plan.

Full-body safety harnesses

A full-body harness used for fall arrest is designed to distribute arrest forces across stronger areas of the body. A positioning or waist belt should not be treated as a substitute for a full-body fall-arrest harness.

When selecting a harness, confirm:

• The intended application and attachment points
• The user’s weight, clothing and carried tools
• The correct size and adjustment range
• Compatibility with the lanyard, connector or self-retracting device
• Whether work-positioning or rescue attachments are required
• Relevant product certification and technical documentation
• Labels, serial number and traceability
• Environmental resistance and inspection requirements

For additional practical selection guidance, read the full-body harness selection, wearing and maintenance guide.

Lanyards and energy absorbers

A lanyard connects the user’s harness to the anchorage or lifeline system. Common configurations include single-leg energy-absorbing lanyards, twin-leg lanyards, adjustable restraint lanyards, work-positioning lanyards and self-retracting lifelines.

Twin-leg lanyards can support continuous attachment while users transfer between approved anchor points. The transfer sequence and the storage of the unused leg must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Energy absorbers reduce the forces transmitted during fall arrest, but they extend while deploying. That deployment increases the required clearance beneath the user.

Self-retracting lifelines

A self-retracting lifeline pays out and retracts as the user moves and locks when a fall produces the activation conditions specified by the manufacturer. An SRL may reduce free-fall distance compared with certain fixed-length lanyard arrangements, but it must still be selected for the actual application.

Confirm:

• Whether the device is approved for overhead, horizontal or foot-level anchorage
• Whether it is suitable for leading-edge exposure
• The permitted user weight and working length
• Required clearance and possible swing-fall distance
• Connector and harness compatibility
• Inspection, servicing and recertification requirements

Do not assume that every SRL can be used horizontally or over a sharp edge.

Fall clearance must be calculated

A worker may be wearing a harness and connected to a lanyard but still strike the ground if the available clearance is insufficient. Clearance is not calculated from the lanyard length alone.

The calculation may need to account for:

• Free-fall distance
• Lanyard or device length
• Energy-absorber deployment
• Locking and deceleration distance
• Harness movement or stretch
• The user’s position below the attachment point
• Lifeline or anchorage-system deflection
• Swing-fall effects
• A suitable safety margin

The required clearance changes with the product, anchor position, system configuration and user weight. Use the manufacturer’s instructions and product-specific clearance information for the complete system.

Anchor points and lifeline systems

An anchorage must be suitable for the intended restraint or fall-arrest system. Do not assume that scaffold tubes, handrails, cable trays, water pipes, conduits, roof purlins, guardrail posts or other convenient structures are approved anchor points.

The anchorage and supporting structure should be selected or verified by a person competent to assess the intended system, potential loading, number of users, direction of loading, structural condition, connector compatibility, fall distance and swing-fall risk.

Horizontal lifelines require particular care because loads can be transferred to end anchors and supporting structures in ways that are not obvious from visual inspection. An anchor device does not, by itself, prove that the supporting structure is adequate.

Ladder safety

A ladder should be selected only when it is suitable for the risk, duration and nature of the task. Before using one:

• Choose the correct ladder type, length and duty rating.
• Inspect the stiles, rungs, feet, locks and fittings.
• Place it on a firm and level surface.
• Secure it against movement where required.
• Maintain a stable body position and avoid excessive reaching.
• Keep within the manufacturer’s rated capacity.
• Keep the surrounding area clear and control access below.
• Keep away from energised electrical hazards unless the ladder and work method are specifically suitable and properly controlled.
• Do not use damaged, modified or improvised ladders.

A ladder is generally unsuitable where the user must:

• Use both hands for a prolonged task
• Handle heavy or bulky materials
• Apply significant sideways force
• Work for an extended period
• Move across a large area
• Work in severe weather
• Maintain an unstable or awkward body position

In these situations, scaffold, a protected work platform or a suitable MEWP may offer a safer method.

Inspection, storage and equipment control

Before-use inspection

The user should inspect the equipment before each use. Haisar’s working-at-height safety harness inspection checklist provides a detailed component-by-component inspection reference.

For a harness and lanyard, check:

• Webbing for cuts, burns, abrasion, hardening or chemical damage
• Stitching for broken, loose or pulled threads
• D-rings and metal parts for cracks, distortion or corrosion
• Buckles and adjusters for correct operation
• Energy absorbers for evidence of deployment or damage
• Hooks and gates for secure closure and locking
• Labels, serial numbers and inspection status
• Contamination by paint, oil, chemicals, cement or other substances

Periodic competent inspection

In addition to pre-use checks, formal inspections should be completed at intervals established by the manufacturer’s instructions, the site risk assessment, frequency and severity of use, environmental exposure, client requirements and applicable product requirements.

There is no single inspection interval that is suitable for every harness and every workplace. High-frequency use, harsh environments, chemical exposure, heat or abrasive work may justify shorter intervals.

After a fall or suspected damage

Equipment involved in a fall-arrest event should be immediately removed from service, identified and quarantined. It should not be returned to use unless the manufacturer’s instructions and an appropriate competent assessment expressly permit it.

Equipment should also be removed from service where:

• Its history is unknown
• Labels or identification are missing
• Damage, contamination or modification is discovered
• It has been exposed to incompatible chemicals, heat or sharp edges
• Required inspection records are unavailable
• It has reached a manufacturer-defined retirement condition

Competency, instruction and supervision

Workers should receive task-appropriate information and instruction covering:

• Working-at-height hazards and the controls selected
• Access, barricading and exclusion arrangements
• Harness fitting and adjustment
• Connection and transfer procedures
• Equipment limitations and prohibited uses
• Approved anchor identification
• Before-use inspection
• Clearance and swing-fall awareness
• Falling-object controls
• Emergency and rescue procedures

Specialised activities may require additional competency, including scaffold erection and inspection, MEWP operation, rope access, lifeline installation, anchor verification and rescue-system operation.

PPE requirements should also be matched to the role and task. Haisar’s job-role PPE matrix provides a useful starting point for electricians, welders, riggers, visitors and general workers, subject to the site-specific HIRARC.

Rescue and emergency planning

Calling public emergency services should not be the only plan for a foreseeable fall-arrest event. A suspended user may be injured, unable to self-rescue or located in an area that is difficult to access.

The rescue plan should identify:

• Possible fall and suspension scenarios
• Rescue personnel, roles and authority
• Suitable rescue equipment
• Safe access to the casualty
• Methods for lowering or raising the casualty
• Communication arrangements
• First-aid response and post-rescue care
• Emergency contacts and site access for external responders
• Training, practice and rescue drills

The rescue method must be practicable using the equipment, structures and personnel actually available at the site. Construction projects should also consider the emergency-procedure requirements within the CDM Regulations 2024.

Falling-object protection

Working-at-height planning must protect people below the work area as well as the person at height. Controls may include:

• Toe boards and suitable edge protection
• Tool tethering where appropriate
• Secured materials and controlled storage
• Debris netting or covered walkways
• Barricades and exclusion zones
• Controlled lifting and lowering procedures
• Suitable head protection selected through the risk assessment

Loose tools, fasteners and materials should not be left near unprotected edges or on elevated equipment.

Common working-at-height failures

Treating the harness as the entire system. A harness is only one component. The lanyard or SRL, connectors, anchorage, clearance and rescue arrangements must work together.

Connecting to an unverified structure. Handrails, scaffold components, pipes and cable trays should not be used unless the complete connection has been assessed and approved for that purpose.

Failing to calculate clearance. The user may still strike a lower level before the energy absorber or device completes the arrest.

Using fall arrest where restraint is practicable. Where the user can be prevented from reaching the edge, restraint may provide a better level of control.

Ignoring swing falls. An anchor positioned far to one side can cause the user to swing into the structure after a fall.

Using damaged or unidentified equipment. Missing labels, damaged webbing and unknown equipment history prevent reliable inspection and traceability.

Relying only on permits and briefings. Administrative controls cannot replace suitable physical protection where collective controls are reasonably practicable.

Starting without a rescue plan. The use of fall-arrest equipment creates a foreseeable possibility that someone may remain suspended and require prompt rescue.

Working-at-height equipment procurement checklist

Before requesting a quotation, provide the supplier with enough information to identify equipment that matches the procurement specification. Include:

• Description of the task and work environment
• Required system: restraint, arrest, positioning, access or rescue
• Number of users
• User weight range, including clothing, tools and equipment
• Anchor location and type
• Available clearance below the work area
• Potential leading-edge exposure
• Required movement area
• Indoor, outdoor, marine, chemical, electrical or heat exposure
• Client-approved brands or product standards
• Required certification and technical documentation
• Quantity, delivery location and required date

Avoid purchasing individual components solely because each item has a recognised marking. The compatibility and suitability of the complete system must also be verified.

Frequently asked questions

Is all work above two metres legally considered working at height?

A blanket two-metre rule should not replace a risk assessment. Assess the potential for injury whenever a person could fall from one level to another, including below two metres.

Is a harness required every time someone uses a ladder?

Not automatically. The correct controls depend on the task, duration, ladder type, access arrangement, environment and fall risk. Connecting a harness to an unsuitable anchor may create additional hazards.

Can a scaffold tube be used as an anchor?

Do not assume that it can. It should only be used when the complete structure, connection point and system have been assessed and approved for the intended use.

How often should a harness be formally inspected?

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, the site risk assessment, usage conditions and project requirements. Complete a pre-use check each time and arrange documented competent inspections at suitable intervals.

Can equipment be reused after arresting a fall?

Remove it from service and quarantine it immediately. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and a competent assessment before any decision about reuse.

Does providing a harness make the employer compliant?

No. Compliance also requires planning, risk assessment, the hierarchy of controls, suitable access, correct system selection, appropriate anchorage, clearance, competency, supervision, inspection and rescue arrangements.

Source working-at-height equipment from Haisar

Haisar Supply & Services supplies working-at-height and fall-protection equipment for contractors, factories, maintenance teams, HSE departments and industrial project operations across Malaysia.

Available products include:

• Full-body safety harnesses
• Picasaf Full Body Harness with double lanyard and energy absorber
• Swelock K452 Full Body Harness
• Single and twin-leg lanyards
• Energy absorbers, hooks and connectors
• Associated working-at-height PPE
• Scaffold inspection and equipment-control products
• Industrial safety equipment for project mobilisation

When requesting a quotation, share the work activity, number of users, preferred standards, client requirements and delivery location. This helps the Haisar team identify products that match the procurement specification.

Final fall-protection system design, anchor verification, clearance calculation, installation and rescue planning should be completed or approved by appropriately competent persons.

Official references and further reading

• Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 - updated text as at 1 June 2024
• Occupational Safety and Health (Construction Work) (Design and Management) Regulations 2024
• DOSH Working at Heights guidance
• DOSH Guidelines for Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC)
• Factories and Machinery (Repeal) Act 2022 - commencement on 1 June 2024
• DOSH FAQ on the Construction Work (Design and Management) Regulations 2024

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