Fall Prevention Requirements During Construction

What This Requirement Covers

Fall prevention during construction covers the duties, design measures and on-site controls required to prevent people falling from heights or through openings while a building is being constructed, altered or demolished. These requirements exist to reduce serious injury and fatality risk from falls and to ensure temporary and permanent edge protection, access routes and work platforms meet safe dimensions and loadings. They apply to designers, principal contractors, builders, subcontractors and any person or business engaged in the construction activity.

The provisions draw on the National Construction Code (NCC) Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) and Performance Requirements for fall prevention (notably Part D1 in Volume One and Part H5 in Volume Two for Class 1/10 work), and reference relevant Australian Standards and industry practice for temporary work at height (for example AS 1657, AS/NZS 1891 series, AS 3610 where applicable to formwork). They are used together with state and territory work health and safety (WHS) legislation and codes of practice to determine specific on-site controls.

Key Requirements

1. A barrier must be provided where people could fall 1 m or more from a floor, roof or through an opening (other than an openable window) or due to a sudden change in level, as specified in NCC Volume One, D1P3 and NCC Volume Two, H5P2.
2. Barriers (balustrades) for permanent construction must meet minimum dimensions: a top of barrier height of 1 000 mm (1.0 m) where a fall risk is 1 m or more, measured vertically from the walking surface to the top of the barrier, as set out in NCC Volume One - D2D2 to D2D23 and D3D2 to D3D30 (see D1P3/D2 provisions).
3. Intermediate guarding for openings and balustrades must prevent a sphere 125 mm diameter passing through (or comply with the specific construction detail in the NCC DtS provisions), in accordance with the fall-prevention DtS guidance in NCC Volume One (see Deemed-to-Satisfy clauses in Part D1).
4. Where permanent barrier provision is not practicable during construction, temporary edge protection is required with an equivalent barrier height of at least 1 000 mm top-rail, 500 mm mid-rail and a toe-board or equivalent of at least 150 mm high to prevent objects falling, consistent with common WHS codes and AS 1657 guidance for access platforms and walkways.
5. Access routes, working platforms and stairways used during construction must have slip-resistant surfaces and suitable handrails; stair treads, risers and landings should comply with the dimensional guidance in NCC Volume Two (Class 1) or Volume One (Class 2-9) as applicable (see D1P2 and Part H5 provisions for safe movement and access).
6. Working platforms, scaffolds and temporary stairs must be designed to resist loads from workers, equipment and materials. Typical design live loadings for temporary platforms are commonly required to be at least 2.5 kPa to 5.0 kPa depending on use, or specific loads defined in project structural design. Scaffolding must meet the relevant Australian Standards and manufacturer requirements and be erected by competent persons.
7. Fall-arrest systems (safety harnesses and lanyards) must comply with AS/NZS 1891.1 and the associated AS/NZS 1891 series for design, selection, use and inspection. Anchorage points must be sized and certified to the loads specified in those standards.
8. Permanent edges that will remain open at completion (for example balconies, terraces, roof edges) must be designed and built to meet the NCC DtS balustrade and barrier provisions (height, infill, design load), and where relevant be capable of resisting the actions set out in NCC structural parts and applicable Australian Standards such as AS 1170.1 (structural design actions) and AS 3700/AS 3600 where masonry/concrete are used.

Relevant references: NCC Volume One - Part D1 (D1P2, D1P3; Deemed-to-Satisfy clauses D2D2-D2D23 and D3D2-D3D30); NCC Volume Two - Part H5 (H5P1, H5P2; H5F1/H5P2 fall prevention); Australian Standards such as AS 1657 - Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders - Design, construction and installation; AS/NZS 1891 series - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices; AS 1170.1 - Structural design actions; and relevant codes of practice under state WHS laws.

Residential vs Commercial

1. Residential (Class 1 and Class 10): NCC Volume Two contains the DtS provisions that most readily apply to houses, townhouses and associated Class 10 structures. The same 1.0 m threshold for providing barriers applies (H5P2, H5F1/H5P2). For single dwellings the emphasis is on ensuring temporary edge protection or permanent balustrades are provided where construction sequencing would otherwise leave unprotected edges. When timber-framed houses are being built, AS 1684 (timber framing) and AS 1657 (access platforms and temporary stairs) are commonly referenced for temporary works and fixing of balustrades.
2. Commercial (Class 2-9): NCC Volume One Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions set more prescriptive requirements for permanent balustrades, handrails and fall prevention in higher-occupancy and higher-rise buildings. Loadings and performance expectations are often greater - for example, balustrade and handrail horizontal loads are determined by the structural design clauses and may require higher design actions (AS 1170.1) and fire-safety interface considerations. Where buildings exceed single storey or present increased occupant numbers or public access, designers must ensure that both temporary and permanent fall prevention measures meet the DtS provisions in Volume One (D1P3/D2 clauses) and the structural loading assumptions used in design.

Exceptions and Exemptions

1. The NCC permits alternate Performance Solutions where a DtS solution is impractical, provided the alternative meets the relevant Performance Requirements (see NCC Volume One D1P1-D1P6 and the Performance Solution pathways). Any Performance Solution must be documented and justified under A2G2/A2G4 procedures.
2. Where permanent balustrades or barriers cannot be installed until late in the program, suitably equivalent temporary barriers that meet the 1.0 m height and infill/ toe-board principles are acceptable during construction. These temporary systems must provide similar protection and load resistance to the permanent design.
3. Specific exemptions or modifications may be listed in state schedules to the NCC; some states adopt additional requirements for particular building types or sites. Always check the relevant state schedule in NCC 2022 Volume One (Schedules 4-12) for jurisdictional amendments.

State and Territory Variations

1. The NCC is national, but each state and territory can adopt schedules that modify or add to national provisions. For example, the NCC Volume Two schedule pages show jurisdictional inserts such as NSW-specific clauses for footings and slab requirements (see NSW H1D4 and related text) and Tasmania-specific clauses noted in volume one schedules (TAS I18P6 Fall prevention). These schedules can impose different details, construction methods or exemptions.
2. Work health and safety (WHS) laws are state/territory-based. Codes of practice and inspectors enforce on-site fall prevention under WHS legislation, which may set additional compliance expectations beyond the NCC (for example, specific scaffold licensing, requirement for edge protection on certain residential projects, or tendering site safety management plans). Designers and contractors must check both the NCC schedules and local WHS requirements for the project location.
3. Always verify the relevant state schedule in NCC 2022 Volume One (Schedules 4-12) and the state WHS regulator guidance for jurisdiction-specific obligations.

Practical Compliance Tips

1. Use the 1.0 m rule: Wherever a person could fall 1 m or more, ensure either a permanent balustrade or a competent temporary barrier is in place before work near the edge begins (NCC Volume One D1P3; NCC Volume Two H5P2).
2. Plan barrier sequencing: incorporate installation of permanent balustrades early in the site program where practical, or specify certified temporary edge protection with top-rail 1 000 mm high and toe-board 150 mm where permanent works are delayed.
3. Match loads in documentation: specify required live loads and design actions for temporary platforms and anchorages in procurement documents so suppliers/engineers provide certified systems (refer AS 1170.1 for design actions and AS/NZS 1891 for anchorages).
4. Use competent installers: scaffolds, engineered temporary edges and fall-arrest anchorages must be installed and inspected by trained, competent persons in accordance with AS 1657 and AS/NZS 1891 series.
5. Maintain and inspect: inspect temporary barriers, scaffolds and harness systems daily and after any incident; keep inspection records and tagging for equipment as required by AS/NZS 1891 and WHS codes.
6. Prevent unprotected openings: cover or edge-protect openings (risers, stair voids, floor openings) with load-rated covers or guard rails that meet the 125 mm infill rule and toe-board requirements until permanent protection is installed.
7. Check jurisdictional variations: before construction starts, review the relevant state schedule in NCC 2022 Volume One and local WHS guidance to confirm any additional or amended fall-prevention obligations.

References: NCC 2022 Volume One - Part D1 (D1P2, D1P3; Deemed-to-Satisfy clauses D2D2-D2D23 and D3D2-D3D30); NCC 2022 Volume Two - Part H5 (H5P1, H5P2); AS 1657 - Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders; AS/NZS 1891 series - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices; AS 1170.1 - Structural design actions; AS 1684 (timber framing) where relevant; state schedules in NCC 2022 Volume One (Schedules 4-12) for jurisdictional variations.

Could not determine from the provided documentation whether there are any additional numeric thresholds for temporary platform live loads specific to each class beyond general design practice; for site-specific loadings consult the project structural engineer and state WHS guidance.