Publishing and copyright information

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the document was last issued.

The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:
Committee reference B/209
Draft for comment 12/30235507 DC; 18/30374561 DC

Foreword

Publishing information

This British Standard is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 31 December 2012. It was prepared by Technical Committee B/209, General building codes. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

Supersession

BS 8560:2012+A1:2018 supersedes BS 8560:2012, which is withdrawn.

Information about this document

Clause 3 of this British Standard is broadly aligned with the RIBA Outline Plan of Work [1], in particular the stages of the design process. At the time of publication, the RIBA Outline Plan of Work [1] was being revised and the stages were being updated, however, the stages given in this British Standard are not affected by this change.

The start and finish of text introduced or altered by Amendment No.1 is indicated in the text by tags . Minor editorial changes are not tagged.

Use of this document

As a code of practice, this British Standard takes the form of guidance and recommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification and particular care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading.

Any user claiming compliance with this British Standard is expected to be able to justify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations.

It has been assumed in the preparation of this British Standard that the execution of its provisions will be entrusted to appropriately qualified and experienced people, for whose use it has been produced.

BSI permits the reproduction of Table A.1 and Figure C.1. This reproduction is only permitted where it is necessary for the user to work and record findings in the table/figure during each application of the standard.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its recommendations are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “should”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

The word “should” is used to express recommendations of this standard. The word “may” is used in the text to express permissibility, e.g. as an alternative to the primary recommendation of the clause. The word “can” is used to express possibility, e.g. a consequence of an action or an event.

Notes and commentaries are provided throughout the text of this standard. Notes give references and additional information that are important but do not form part of the recommendations. Commentaries give background information.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

Particular attention is drawn to the following specific regulations:

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended) [2].
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 [3].
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998 [4].
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 [5].
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 [6].

Introduction

This British Standard encourages designers to assess, as early as possible in the design process, how work at height can be minimized, and where required the provision of practical, efficient, cost‑effective solutions for the safety of those who work at height.

NOTE For the purposes of this British Standard, the term “designer” covers either an individual engaged in design or a team, perhaps representing several disciplines. An integrated design team offers benefits in terms of collective design consideration, including knowledge, experience and problem solving. Also see 2.4 and 3.3.

New‑build and refurbishment projects require people to work at height over the lifespan of a building in order to construct, clean, maintain and repair it. By its nature, work at height is hazardous and presents the risk of a fall. Falls from height account for a significant proportion of fatalities and serious injuries experienced during construction and maintenance. As a significant safety risk, it is important that everyone, including designers, who work within the construction industry give it the appropriate attention.

To reduce the number of accidents, designers have duties under health and safety legislation [3], so far as is reasonably practicable1⁾ (see 2.13), to avoid the need for work to be carried out at height. Part of a designer's duty is to adapt the design where this cannot be achieved so that equipment can be provided to prevent falls. If provision of fall prevention equipment is impractical, equipment or systems of work to minimize the distance and consequences of a fall can then be included within the design. By working collaboratively, the design team is in a strong position to make provisions within their designs that reduce the risk of falls occurring.

Designers assess and manage many competing factors as they prepare their designs. At the concept design stage (see 3.4) the form of the building develops and this can be influenced by factors such as function, location, aesthetics, cost and planning. In addition, there are other factors such as building and fire regulations, sustainability, buildability (see 2.2) and maintainability (see 2.9) to be addressed. The best time for designers to consider work at height is during the early stages of the design: how it can be minimized and carried out in a manner that provides an appropriate level of safety. This is the focus for this British Standard.

By early consideration of the extent, nature, duration and frequency of work to be done at height, appropriate equipment and techniques for use in construction, cleaning, maintenance and repair can be identified. Also how access to and from equipment and places of work at height, and the loads equipment imposes on the structure or surrounding ground can be included early in the design process. Early consideration can help to resolve aesthetic or other conflicts between the proposed equipment or work methods and the other factors influencing the design of the building and its surroundings. This should enable accurate costing and planning for the provision of access equipment, its inclusion into the building and its lifetime use.

Where work at height is taken into account later in the design process, there is a greater likelihood of there being difficulties in making adequate provision for access and inclusion of access equipment. There is potential for poorer detailing and additional cost resulting from redesign, structural alterations and inappropriate access arrangements that increase lifetime costs.

By giving due consideration to work at height issues early in the design process, designers assist those who have to organize, manage and carry out the work at height during construction, cleaning, maintenance and repair. It is also vital that contractors and operatives are trained and competent to carry out work at height.

1 Scope

This British Standard gives recommendations for incorporating safe work at height into the design of buildings during the design process.

NOTE The recommendations in this British Standard can also be applied to other structures.

It gives recommendations for designers on working safely at height and how to take this into account throughout the design process with specific focus on the early strategic and conceptual stages. It also takes into account the requirements of those who are involved in construction, inspection, cleaning and maintenance.

This British Standard does not give designers prescriptive solutions for work at height but does provide useful guidance to help them manage the process. It is for the design team to develop specific solutions for each individual project.

2 Terms and definitions

3 Design development process, including work at height

3.1 General

3.2 Appraisal and design brief

3.3 The design team

3.4 Concept design

3.5 Design development

3.6 Production information: pre-construction stage

3.7 Tender

3.8 Construction phase

4 Communication

5 Designing for the safety of operatives working at height

6 Buildability

7 Occupiers and end users

8 Balancing capital and life cycle costs

9 Facilities management

10 Maintenance strategy

10.1 General

10.2 Maintenance operations

10.3 Maintenance considerations

10.4 Selection of access equipment

10.5 Design of the building and surrounding area/landscaping to allow the proposed access equipment to be used

Bibliography

BS 8560:2012+A1:2018

Code of practice for the design of buildings incorporating safe work at height

Current

Published:

31 Oct 2018