Riggers Steeplejacks

01/10/2026

**What does OHSA Section 8 mean when people are working at height?**

Section 8 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out the employer’s general duty to provide and maintain, as far as reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risk to employees.

For work at height, that means the employer must identify the hazards, determine what precautions are required, provide the necessary information, training and supervision, and make sure those precautions are in place before the work starts.

The important question is:

**Can you show that the work was properly planned and the fall risks were properly controlled?**

Read our updated guide:
https://www.wahs.co.za/ohsa-section-8-work-at-height-south-african-employer-guide/

23/09/2026

A harness can stop the fall — but it does not rescue the worker.

If someone is left suspended after a fall, suspension trauma can become a serious medical emergency, which is why a work-at-heights rescue plan must be practical and capable of being activated immediately.

Before work starts, you should know who will perform the rescue, whether they are trained, whether the correct rescue equipment is on site, and whether the casualty can actually be recovered from the work position.

“Call emergency services” is not a complete rescue plan.

The time to work out how someone will be rescued is before they fall — not afterwards.

Read the full article:
https://www.wahs.co.za/work-at-heights-rescue-plan-what-must-be-in-place-before-work-starts/

What must a work at heights rescue plan include? Learn what must be in place before workers are exposed to a fall risk in South Africa.