"Show me your Working at Heights Certificate" is one thing. Confirming that the certificate in front of you is genuine, current and from a recognised provider is another. This is the complete verification guide for both sides: the worker proving their certificate, and the employer or main contractor checking it.
How to verify a Working at Heights Certificate in 30 seconds
Every Working at Heights Certificate issued by Irish Working at Heights carries a unique alphanumeric verification ID printed on the certificate. To verify any certificate:
- Open /verify/certificate in any browser - no login required.
- Enter the verification ID from the certificate exactly as printed.
- The page returns: holder name, course title, issue date, expiry date and accreditation status.
- If the ID is invalid, expired or not on file, the page shows a clear "not valid" status.
The verification page is public, free, and works for any Working at Heights Certificate issued by Irish Working at Heights since 2024.
What the Working at Heights Certificate displays
A genuine Irish Working at Heights Certificate shows nine pieces of information on a single PDF page:
- Holder full name as entered at registration
- Course title - "Working at Heights Course" or "Working at Heights Refresher Course"
- Issuing body - Irish Working at Heights
- Date of issue
- Date of expiry (3 years from issue)
- Unique verification ID - alphanumeric, 10 to 14 characters
- Accreditation marks - CPD UK, RoSPA, HSA aligned
- Verification URL with QR code linking back to /verify/certificate
- Authorised signature and stamp
If any of these are missing, the certificate may not be from a recognised Irish provider.
For employers: bulk Working at Heights Certificate verification
Main contractors and HR teams routinely verify dozens of certificates a week. The team dashboard supports:
- Bulk upload of certificate IDs (CSV) for batch verification
- API endpoint for HRIS or contractor-management integration
- Automated 90 / 60 / 30 day expiry alerts per learner
- One-click ZIP download of all current Working at Heights Certificates for site files
- Audit log of when each certificate was issued and last verified
Set up a free company account on the team training page to access bulk verification tools.
Spotting a fake Working at Heights Certificate
Forged certificates appear occasionally. Red flags:
- No verification ID, or an ID that does not work in the verification page
- Issuing body that does not exist on a Google search
- "Lifetime" validity (no Irish Working at Heights Certificate is lifetime - all renew at 3 years)
- Generic clip-art badges with no real accreditation reference
- Course duration listed as 5 minutes or "self-attested"
- Accreditation logos at low resolution (genuine logos are vector-sharp)
- Misspelled SHWW Act references or wrong SI number
- Date of issue in the future, or expiry date earlier than issue date
Any of these triggers a deeper check via the verification page or a direct email to the named issuing body.
What if my own Working at Heights Certificate verification fails
If you enter the ID on /verify/certificate and the page shows "not valid":
- Check the ID is typed exactly as printed - no spaces, correct case
- Check the certificate is genuinely from Irish Working at Heights (the URL on the QR code starts with irish-workingatheights.ie)
- If the certificate is more than 3 years old, it has expired and needs renewal via the Working at Heights Refresher Course
- If none of the above explains it, contact us at /contact with the ID and a copy of the PDF
Genuine certificates are always recoverable from your account dashboard at any time.
For HSA inspectors and insurance assessors
Both the HSA and Irish insurance underwriters routinely use the public verification page to confirm Working at Heights Certificate validity during inspections and claims investigations. The page is rate-limit-free for legitimate verification requests and supports automated lookup via the API on enterprise plans.
Renewal reminders that prevent expired-cert problems
Most "fake certificate" disputes turn out to be expired-but-still-shown certificates. The team dashboard sends:
- 90 days before expiry: heads-up email to learner and employer
- 60 days: reminder with one-click renewal link
- 30 days: urgent reminder, escalation to the employer admin
- 7 days: final reminder with red flag in the dashboard
- Day 0: automatic move to "expired" status, blocked from active certificate list
This catches over 95 percent of would-be expirations before they cause site-access problems.
The audit log
Every Working at Heights Certificate carries a permanent audit trail:
- Date and time the course was started, paused, completed
- Module-by-module progression
- Final assessment score and number of attempts
- IP address and device fingerprint at completion (for fraud prevention)
- Date and time the PDF was first downloaded
- Each verification request against the ID, with timestamp and source
This audit trail is what insurance underwriters and the HSA expect when claims arise.
Frequently asked questions
How do I share my Working at Heights Certificate with my employer?
Forward the PDF, or simply give the employer the verification ID and the link to /verify/certificate. They can confirm validity in 30 seconds.
Can I print a Working at Heights Certificate from a phone?
Yes. The PDF is print-ready at A4 and looks identical printed or on screen.
Does the verification page show personal data?
It shows the holder name, course, dates and validity status only. No address, phone or financial information is exposed.
Can someone else verify my certificate without my permission?
Yes - the verification ID is intended to be public-facing for site access. Treat the ID like a name badge, not a password.
Verify any Working at Heights Certificate now at /verify/certificate, or start the Working at Heights Course online to get your own verifiable Working at Heights Certificate in 45 minutes.
