Guide to the Danish Working Environment Authority’s guidelines on fall protection

Falls from heights (over 2 meters) are one of the most common causes of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry and on construction sites. Therefore, the Working Environment Authority established requirements for fall protection.

What is the occupational health and safety law?

The purpose of the Health and Safety at Work Act (AML) is to prevent accidents at work and to create a safe working environment. According to the AML, as an employer you are responsible for ensuring a safe working environment.

The main points of the Working Environment Act relevant to the Danish Working Environment Authority’s requirements regarding fall protection include:

• 1 §: The purpose of the law is to prevent ill health and accidents at work and also to achieve a good working environment in other respects. (Point amended by 1994:579)
• 2 § – Chapter 2: Work shall be planned and organized so that it can be carried out in a healthy and safe environment.
• 3 § – Chapter 3: The employer must ensure that the worker is well informed about the conditions under which the work is carried out and that the worker is informed about the risks that may be associated with the work. The employer must ensure that the worker has the necessary training and knows what to observe to avoid risks at work. The employer must ensure that only workers who have received adequate instructions have access to areas where there is a significant risk of ill health or accidents.
  The employer must take account of the employee’s specific working conditions by adapting working conditions or taking other appropriate measures. When planning and organizing work, it must be taken into account that employees’ conditions for performing tasks are different. (Point amended by 2002:585)
• 4 § – Chapter 3: The employee must participate in the work on health and safety at work and in the implementation of the measures required to achieve a good working environment. They must follow the rules given and use protective devices and other precautions necessary to prevent ill health and accidents.
  If the employee considers that the work involves an immediate and serious danger to life or health, he or she must immediately inform the employer or the safety representative. The employee is not liable for any damage resulting from failure to carry out the work while awaiting a decision on whether to continue the work. (Point amended by 1991:677)
• 5 § – Chapter 8: The Government or such authority as the Government may prescribe may make regulations providing for the levy of a fee in case of violation of a regulation made under Chapter 4, Sections 1-8. The fee is charged even if the infringement was not committed intentionally or through negligence.
  A regulation on financial penalties must specify how the fee is calculated for different types of infringements. It must be possible to determine the amount of the fee directly on the basis of the calculation basis provided. The fee must be at least 1,000 crowns and a maximum of 1,000,000 crowns. (Point amended by 2013:610)

Collective and personal fall protection

In case of fall risks, collective fall protection shall be used. Collective fall protection is different types of common protective equipment that protects everyone in the work environment. This includes:

• Fall protection railings
• Scaffolding
• Work platforms
• Protective nets

Personal fall protection equipment should only be used in exceptional cases when collective fall protection equipment is not possible to use or when it would take significantly longer to obtain collective fall protection.

What happens if I do not comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act?

First of all, you are putting yourself and/or your staff at risk. Contact BGFIX and we will help you develop a fall protection solution that meets all requirements and needs.

Create a safe working environment with BGFIX

For more information on the Danish Working Environment Authority’s fall protection requirements, you can
contact BGFIX
. Our aim is to make workplaces as safe as possible, and we have a wide range of both collective and personal fall protection equipment that is CE and EN approved.

Take a look at our range of fall protection equipment for working at height.