Who Should Conduct Working at Height Risk Assessments?

Introduction: The Final Piece of the Puzzle

This is the final instalment in our Working at Height Risk Assessment campaign, and it brings everything back to one critical question:

👉 Who is actually responsible for carrying out risk assessments?

Throughout this series, we have explored:

• Why risk assessments matter
• Where things go wrong
• How better planning and decision-making reduce risk
  
  

But even with the right processes in place, one issue continues to cause confusion:

Ownership.

Because in reality, risk assessments do not fail due to a lack of paperwork, they fail when responsibility is unclear, assumed, or not acted upon.

Why Responsibility Matters

Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and serious injuries.

And in many cases, it is not because a risk assessment did not exist, it is because:

• It was not understood
• It was not followed
• Or no one took ownership of it
  
  

👉 Clear responsibility is what turns a risk assessment from a document into action.

Understanding Working at Height Regulations

In the UK, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 place clear duties on employers and those in control of work at height activities.

They must ensure work is:

• Properly planned
• Appropriately supervised
• Carried out by competent people
  
  

Employers are also required to assess the risks before work begins and ensure the right control measures are in place.

At the same time, employees have legal duties to cooperate and follow safe working practices.

Industry Insight: What Do People Think?

As part of this campaign, we asked our LinkedIn audience:

“Who is mainly responsible for carrying out a risk assessment?”

The results showed:

• Both employer and employee – 76%
• Employer – 16%
• Employee – 8%
• Neither – 0%
  
  

What this tells us

Most people recognise that responsibility is shared.

However, nearly 1 in 4 respondents believe it sits with only one party, highlighting that confusion still exists.

👉 And where responsibility is unclear, risk increases.

Employer and Employee Responsibilities

Understanding the difference between employer and employee responsibilities is key to ensuring risk assessments are effective.

Employer Responsibilities:

Employers (and those in control of work at height) hold overall legal accountability.

They must:

• Ensure work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people
• Assess risks before work begins
• Provide the correct equipment for the task
• Ensure workers have the skills, knowledge, and experience required
• Provide training, instruction, and supervision
• Consult employees on risks and control measures
• Implement and maintain safe systems of work
  
  

👉 Even if a competent person completes the risk assessment, the employer remains responsible for ensuring it is suitable, sufficient, and followed.

Employee Responsibilities:

Employees also have legal duties when working at height.

They must:

• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and others
• Cooperate with their employer to meet safety requirements
• Use equipment and safety devices correctly and in line with training
• Report hazards or unsafe conditions
• Follow the safe systems of work in place
  
  

Employees also contribute to risk assessments by providing real-world insight into tasks and identifying hazards that may not be immediately obvious.

Why This Matters in Practice

When responsibility is not clearly understood:

• Risk assessments can become a tick-box exercise
• Important hazards can be missed
• Unsafe behaviours can go unchallenged
  
  

👉 This is where incidents happen.

Risk assessments are only effective when they are:

• Clearly understood
• Properly communicated
• Actively followed on site

Conclusion: Bringing the Campaign Together

This final blog brings together everything we’ve explored throughout this campaign.

Across the series, we have covered:

• Generic vs Site-Specific Risk Assessments — why detail matters
• How to Conduct a Risk Assessment — step-by-step guidance
• 10 Common Risk Assessment Mistakes — and how to avoid them
• Risk Assessment vs Method Statement — understanding the difference
  
  

And now, the final piece:

👉 Who is responsible?

The answer is clear:

• Employers are responsible for ensuring risk assessments are carried out and acted upon
• Employees are responsible for following them and contributing to a safe working environment

The key takeaway:

👉 Risk assessments only work when responsibility is clear, and shared.

When employers provide the right planning, equipment, and systems, and employees actively engage and follow them,  safer outcomes become part of everyday work.

If you are looking to improve how working at height is managed on your site:

👉 Download the HLS Working at Height Expert Guide 2026 for practical guidance, real-world insights, and actionable steps to reduce risk.

👉 Download the HLS Risk Assessment Template