Structural Glazing at Height: Working at Height Regulations & RAMS Checklist for Glazing Contractors

Table of Contents

• Why Working at Height is the Dominant Risk in Glazing
• Work at Height Regulations 2005: The Hierarchy
• Access Equipment Selection for Glazing Works
• Glass Handling at Height: Specific Controls
• Rescue Planning for Glazing Operatives at Height
• RAMS Checklist for Glazing Contractors
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Next Steps

Why Working at Height is the Dominant Risk in Glazing

Falls from height remain the single largest cause of fatal injuries in UK construction. For structural glazing contractors, working at height is not an occasional activity — it is the primary work environment. Glazing units on commercial facades are installed from various forms of suspended or elevated access equipment, often at significant heights, on buildings that are still under construction.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAH Regs) impose specific duties on employers and the self-employed when planning and carrying out work at height. Your RAMS must demonstrate that you have followed the statutory hierarchy and selected the safest practicable access method for each stage of the installation. This guide provides a practical framework and checklist for glazing contractors preparing RAMS for work at height.

Browse all trade RAMS templates on the RAMS AI trade hub — covering 22 specialist construction trades.

Work at Height Regulations 2005: The Hierarchy

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require dutyholders to apply the following hierarchy when planning work at height:

1. Avoid — Can the work be done safely from ground level? For glazing installation, this is rarely possible beyond the lowest floors.
2. Prevent falls — Use collective fall prevention measures: scaffolding, guard rails, MEWPs, mast-climbing platforms. The preference is always for systems that prevent a fall occurring rather than arresting one.
3. Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall — Where prevention is not reasonably practicable, use fall arrest systems: safety nets, soft landing systems, personal fall arrest equipment with energy absorbers.

Your RAMS must not simply list personal fall arrest as the primary control without first demonstrating why collective prevention measures are not reasonably practicable. Where personal fall protection is used, it must be supported by a documented rescue plan.

Access Equipment Selection for Glazing Works

The choice of access equipment is one of the most consequential decisions in glazing RAMS preparation. Each system has a different risk profile:

• Mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs) — Provide a large, stable working deck at height. Erection and dismantling carry significant risk and must have their own RAMS from the MCWP contractor. Your glazing RAMS should cross-reference the MCWP RAMS and confirm wind speed limits for glazing operations from the platform.
• Suspended access cradles (SAE) — Used widely for glazing installation and maintenance on tall commercial buildings. Operatives in cradles are entirely dependent on the equipment's structural integrity. Thorough examination certificates must be current. Emergency lowering procedures must be understood by all operatives.
• IRATA rope access — Used for complex facades and installations where cradles are impractical. All operatives must hold IRATA certification at the appropriate level (minimum IRATA Level 1 for rope access work, Level 3 for supervisors). Rope access creates specific rescue challenges.
• MEWPs — Boom lifts and spider platforms are used for lower levels and for final adjustments and sealing operations. IPAF certification required. Ground conditions must be assessed before deployment.
• Scaffolding — Where a scaffold has been erected for the project, glazing may be installed from scaffold platforms. Cross-reference the scaffolding contractor's inspection records and confirm the loading limits are adequate for glazing unit weights.

Regardless of access method, your RAMS must address the specific risks of that method — rescue, wind speed limits, equipment inspection, and operator competency.

Glass Handling at Height: Specific Controls

Handling glass at height introduces risks beyond the access method itself:

• Glass breakage — Large glazing units can shatter explosively if dropped, impacted, or subject to thermal shock. Your RAMS must specify the glass type (toughened, laminated, triple-glazed IGUs), its weight, and the handling equipment required.
• Vacuum cup systems — For large, heavy glazing units, powered or manual vacuum cup lifters are used. Your RAMS must confirm vacuum cup load ratings, the inspection protocol before each use, and the procedures if vacuum fails during a lift.
• Crane lifts for large units — For unitised curtain wall panels incorporating glass, crane lifts must comply with BS 7121 and LOLER. An Appointed Person must plan every lift.
• Dropped glass — Even small glass fragments falling from height can cause serious injury. Debris netting, exclusion zones below the work face, and overhead protection over pedestrian routes are required controls.
• Cut protection — When handling glass, operatives must wear cut-resistant gloves (minimum EN 388 Level C). Face shields should be worn where glass breakage risk is elevated.

For more detail on curtain walling and glazing RAMS, see our guide on Curtain Walling RAMS for Unitised Facade Systems.

Rescue Planning for Glazing Operatives at Height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that wherever personal fall arrest systems are used, a documented rescue plan must be in place. The rescue must be achievable within a timeframe that prevents suspension trauma (also called orthostatic shock) — typically within 20 minutes of a fall occurring.

Your RAMS must include:

• The specific rescue method for each access system used (e.g., crane-assisted rescue from MCWP, emergency cradle lowering from SAE)
• Confirmation that trained rescue personnel are on site at all times when work is taking place at height
• Contact details for emergency services and the hospital with a trauma unit
• First aid provisions at height: kit location, access to the casualty
• Evidence that operatives have been briefed on rescue procedures in the site induction

RAMS Checklist for Glazing Contractors

Use this checklist to verify your structural glazing RAMS is complete:

• ☐ CDM 2015 project details: client, Principal Contractor, Principal Designer, notification
• ☐ Work at Height Regulations hierarchy documented and access method justified
• ☐ Specific access method identified with full risk controls
• ☐ Equipment inspection records referenced (thorough examination, daily checks)
• ☐ Operator competency confirmed (IPAF, IRATA, CPCS as applicable)
• ☐ Wind speed limits specified for each installation activity
• ☐ Glass panel specification: type, weight, handling method
• ☐ Vacuum equipment: load rating, inspection protocol, failure procedure
• ☐ Lifting plan reference for any crane lifts
• ☐ Dropped object controls: exclusion zones, debris netting, tool lanyards
• ☐ Fall arrest system: anchor point design loads (min. 12 kN per EN 795)
• ☐ Rescue plan: method, timing, trained personnel, emergency contacts
• ☐ COSHH: sealants, solvents, structural silicone — assessments in place
• ☐ PPE schedule: cut-resistant gloves, face protection, harnesses, helmets
• ☐ Emergency arrangements: first aid, site accident procedures
• ☐ Sign-off: supervisor and operatives

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can personal fall arrest be the primary WAH control in a glazing RAMS?
A: Only if you have documented why collective prevention measures (guard rails, MEWPs, MCWPs) are not reasonably practicable. Regulators and principal contractors expect to see the hierarchy applied. Simply specifying a harness without addressing why better options cannot be used is likely to result in the RAMS being rejected.

Q: How often does suspended access equipment need to be inspected?
A: LOLER requires a thorough examination of lifting equipment at least every 6 months (or after exceptional circumstances). Before each use, a pre-use check must be carried out by a competent person. Records of both thorough examinations and pre-use checks must be kept and be available on site.

Q: What certification do operatives need for rope access glazing work?
A: All operatives carrying out IRATA rope access must hold a current IRATA certification at the appropriate level (minimum Level 1 for rope access work). Supervisors must hold IRATA Level 3. Certificates must be current (renewed every 3 years). Evidence of certification should be included in the RAMS or site competency records.

Next Steps

Generate a structured, Work at Height Regulations compliant RAMS for your structural glazing project using the Curtain Walling & Structural Glazing RAMS generator on RAMS AI.