In brief
Everyone who works at height must be trained on the hazards, control measures and safe working methods; the legislation sets no one-metre height threshold. The training belongs in the job- and workplace-specific risks part of basic OHS training and is delivered face-to-face and hands-on in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces. What is needed on site is not a generic "certificate" but documented training specific to the job and the equipment used.
Is working at height training mandatory?
Yes. The obligation arises from several regulations together:
- Annex 4/A of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety in Construction Works requires workers in areas where work is done at height to be trained on the hazards, risks, control measures and safe working methods relating to working at height, and the work to be carried out under the supervision of a competent person appointed by the employer.
- Annex II of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment requires scaffolds to be erected, dismantled and altered by workers who have received adequate training, and in rope access work, workers to receive training suited to the job, in particular on rescue.
- Annex 1 of the 2026 training regulation expressly lists working at height and falls from height in topic group 4 of basic training.
The Construction Works Regulation defines working at height as "work carried out in any area where there is a difference in level and where injury could result from a fall". This definition covers not only construction sites but also staff working on the upper levels of warehouse racking, a technician doing maintenance on a roof and an operator making adjustments on top of a machine. For details of the concept, see our article on what working at height is.
Misconceptions
| Common belief | Position in the legislation |
|---|---|
| "Below 2 metres doesn't count as working at height." | The Construction Works Regulation's definition gives no figure in metres; the criterion is a difference in level and the possibility of injury from a fall. |
| "Someone with a working at height certificate can work on any job." | The OHS regulations we reviewed define no standard "working at height certificate". What is required is that training specific to the job, the equipment and the workplace is given and documented. A worker coming from another workplace is still given induction training and topic 4. |
| "Online training is enough." | Topic group 4 is delivered face-to-face in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces. Putting on a harness, connecting and rescue can only be learned through practice. |
| "Once we've issued a harness, our obligation ends." | Collective protection (guardrails, platforms, nets) comes first; a harness system is used where collective protection is not enough. |
| "Training is given once." | Basic training is repeated according to the hazard class; additional training is given after an absence of more than 6 months and after an accident. |
If the job you do is among the occupations requiring vocational training or a Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK) certificate, that certificate is also required; working at height training does not replace it. For this distinction, see our article on the list of occupations requiring vocational training.
Theory: what is covered in the classroom?
The theory part of working at height training helps the worker understand why, and in what order, they are protected:
- Causes of fall accidents: Unprotected edges, fragile roofs, slipping ladders, missing scaffold components, weather conditions.
- Hierarchy of protection: Doing the work at ground level where possible, then collective protection such as guardrails and platforms, and lastly a personal fall arrest system.
- Choice of equipment: That a ladder can only be used for low risk, short duration or where there is no other solution; which jobs scaffolding, mobile elevating work platforms and rope access are suitable for.
- Personal fall arrest system: That the full body harness, lanyard, energy absorber, anchorage point and lifeline form a system together.
- Fall distance and clearance: That sufficient clearance is needed below so that the harness can arrest the fall before the worker hits the ground.
- Suspension and rescue: That it is dangerous for a worker whose fall has been arrested to remain suspended in the harness for a long time, and that rescue must be planned in advance.
- Weather conditions and permit to work: Stopping work in wind, rain and icing; the limits in the equipment's user manual.
Practical content: what is shown on site?
The practical part should, where possible, be done with the equipment the worker will actually use and at a point close to the real work location:
- Pre-use check of the harness: damage to stitching, webbing, buckles and D-rings; legibility of the label.
- Putting on and adjusting the harness correctly; tightness of the leg and chest straps.
- Choosing an anchorage point: structural, intended by the manufacturer and, where possible, above the worker.
- Locking connectors and karabiners; staying continuously attached with a twin-leg lanyard.
- Positioning and securing a ladder, and three points of contact.
- Reading the scaffold tag; not starting work where guardrails or boards are missing.
- Rescue scenario: role-playing the lowering of a suspended worker by the team.
The link with job-specific risk training
Rather than thinking of working at height training as a separate course, planning it within "job- and workplace-specific risks", topic group 4 of basic OHS training topics, fits both the legislation and the nature of the work:
| Topic | Rule | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Content | In hazardous and very hazardous workplaces, based on the risk assessment and emergency plan | Training Regulation Art. 9/4 |
| Minimum duration | At least 2 / 3 / 4 lesson hours in total for topic 4 (less hazardous / hazardous / very hazardous) | Art. 13/3 |
| Method | Face-to-face in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces | Art. 12/3 |
| First day | Induction training: at least 2 hours, face-to-face and hands-on | Art. 7 |
| Refresher | Every year in very hazardous, every 2 years in hazardous, every 3 years in less hazardous | Art. 14 |
| Special cases | Topic 4 refresher after more than 6 months' absence; additional training after an accident | Arts. 18–19 |
If there are also other job-specific risks such as welding, confined spaces or forklifts, the working at height part should make up the minimum duration together with them; the duration is increased if necessary.
Who should receive it?
Working at height training is not only for construction workers. In industrial facilities in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, the following roles are often also covered:
- Technicians doing roof and facade maintenance, and those installing solar panels or ventilation equipment on roofs,
- Maintenance staff making adjustments and doing maintenance on top of machines,
- Warehouse staff counting or picking on the upper levels of racking, and those using order pickers,
- Those working with mobile elevating work platforms or bucket trucks,
- Crews erecting, dismantling or working on scaffolding,
- Subcontractor workers doing jobs such as window cleaning and sign installation.
Subcontractor workers' own employers are responsible for their training. The principal employer checks these workers' training certificates and informs them about workplace-specific risks before they start work (Training Regulation Art. 22).
Who delivers the training, and what happens afterwards?
When working at height is covered in topic group 4 of basic training, the trainers are those listed in Art. 10 of the regulation: the OHS specialist and workplace physician providing OHS services at the workplace, and the institutions listed in the regulation. The trainer's area of expertise must match the topic; the specialist can cover technical topics such as fall arrest systems and scaffolding, and the physician can cover the health effects of suspension and first response. In induction training, a knowledgeable and experienced worker appointed by the employer can also show the anchorage points and scaffolding on site.
The work does not end when the training ends. The Construction Works Regulation requires work at height to be carried out under the supervision and control of a competent person appointed by the employer, and equipment for safe work at height to be checked and maintained regularly. The use of unsuitable equipment is prevented. In practice this means:
- Keep a register for harnesses and connectors; the worker carries out the pre-use check, and a competent person you appoint carries out the periodic check.
- A harness and absorber that has arrested a fall, i.e. borne a fall, is withdrawn from use.
- The person supervising on site monitors whether the rules taught in training are followed; recurring breaches become the topic of the next training.
How is the training documented?
For face-to-face training, an attendance record is drawn up showing the venue, date, duration, topics and the names and signatures of the participants and the trainer (Art. 17). Training arising from other legislation is documented with the signatures of the worker and the employer, stating its content, and kept in the personnel file (Art. 24/2). Also write on the record where and with what equipment the practical part was carried out; this is usually what is asked during an inspection.
Enter refresher dates in the OHS calendar. For construction sites, our article on the Construction Works OHS Regulation and our construction sector page, and for training programmes our OHS training service, offer guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours should working at height training last?
The legislation does not give a separate duration for working at height alone. This training is planned within topic group 4 of basic training; at least 2, 3 or 4 lesson hours in total are allocated to this group. Plan enough time to fit in the practical part and the rescue role-play.
Is a working at height certificate mandatory?
The OHS regulations we reviewed contain no requirement for a standard "working at height certificate". What is mandatory is that training is given, that it is specific to the job and the equipment, and that it is documented with a signed record. If the job is an occupation requiring an MYK or vocational training certificate, that certificate is also required.
Can safety harness training be delivered remotely?
Checking, putting on and connecting a harness, and rescue, are practical skills. In hazardous and very hazardous workplaces, topic group 4 must in any case be delivered face-to-face; in less hazardous workplaces we also recommend doing the practical part on site.
Does a worker trained at another workplace need to be trained again?
For a worker changing workplace in the same job, the previous basic training certificate is checked; however, induction training and topic group 4 are given again at the new workplace. The new workplace's roof, scaffolding and anchorage points are different.
Induction, basic and refresher training in line with the 2026 regulation; on your premises, with examples from your own site and fully documented.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.