If you are one of the Employers in Education and Schools, working at height is part of the job - and so is the legal duty that comes with it. Here is what Employers in Irish Education and Schools need to know, and how a Working at Heights Course keeps you covered.
The responsibilities of Employers
You carry the legal duty under the SHWW Act 2005. A Working at Heights Certificate for every worker is your cleanest evidence of compliance. In day-to-day Education and Schools work that means you should:
- Supply suitable, inspected access equipment
- Carry out and record risk assessments
- Provide a safe place and system of work at height
- Provide information, instruction, training and supervision
The Education and Schools hazards Employers must control
In Education and Schools, the falls that Employers most often have to prevent involve caretaker ladder use for lights and displays, work above occupied classrooms and seasonal decoration and maintenance. Schools combine height work with child-safety duties, so timing and exclusion zones are essential.
The Working at Heights Course makes compliance simple
Here is the good news: getting compliant is fast and inexpensive. Our Working at Heights Course is delivered fully online, takes about 45 minutes, and issues a downloadable certificate the same day. It is CPD certified, RoSPA approved and QQI aligned, and it is written specifically for Employers in Education and Schools.
The Working at Heights Training covers the avoid-prevent-minimise hierarchy, ladder and stepladder safety, MEWPs and scaffolds, harnesses and anchor points, and how to carry out a proper risk assessment. Every learner finishes with a recognised Working at Heights Certificate that stands up to HSA inspection and supports your insurance position.
Training that goes beyond the tick-box
Young and new workers are over-represented in fall statistics, and Employers in Education and Schools is no exception. Setting good habits from the very first day - never climbing on furniture, never overreaching, always inspecting equipment - is far easier than unlearning bad ones later. Early certification with a Working at Heights Course pays back for an entire career.
Competence is not the same as experience. A worker who has used ladders for twenty years can still carry twenty years of bad habits. Refresher training matters for Employers in Education and Schools precisely because confidence drifts away from the rules over time, and a quick refresher resets it.
Frequently asked questions
Do Employers in Education and Schools need their own height training?
Yes. Whatever your role, if you plan, supervise or carry out work at height you need a Working at Heights Certificate.
What course suits Employers best?
The Working at Heights Course covers the duties of Employers and all other roles in one accredited, online programme.
How long does it take?
About 45 minutes online, with a same-day certificate, so Employers in Education and Schools stay compliant without losing a work day.
More on staying safe at height
The most expensive mistake employers make with employers in education and schools is treating training as a box-ticking exercise. The Health and Safety Authority does not just want a certificate on file; it wants evidence that the worker understood the avoid-prevent-minimise hierarchy and applied it on the day. A genuine Working at Heights Course builds that understanding, which is exactly why our online programme uses real scenarios rather than slides.
Get certified today
Do not wait for an HSA inspection or a near miss to act. Employers in Education and Schools can complete the Working at Heights Course online in 45 minutes and download a certificate the same day. For 10 or more learners, see our team training rates, or contact our team for a tailored quote.
Start the online Working at Heights Training now and put a recognised certificate in every worker's file before the next job at height begins.
