South Australia Lowers High-Risk Work at Height Threshold to Two Metres
SafeWork SA has reduced the high-risk construction work at height threshold from three metres to two metres, effective 1 July 2026.
The following is an abridgement of an article originally published by NSCA Foundation.
Regulatory Change
Effective 1 July 2026, SafeWork SA reduced the threshold for high-risk construction work at height from three metres to two metres, aligning the state with the national model Work Health and Safety Regulations.
Under the updated regulations, any construction work performed above two metres requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be in place before work commences.
Injury Data and Rationale
SafeWork SA stated the regulatory change was driven by injury data indicating a significant number of serious falls occurred between two and three metres.
According to the regulator, South Australia recorded 149 instances of a person falling from above two metres between 2020 and 2022. More than 100 of these incidents occurred in the residential construction sector, with 68 per cent happening between two and three metres.
SafeWork SA indicated the previous three-metre trigger failed to capture a substantial share of high-risk activity, and the lower threshold is intended to ensure work at height is properly assessed and controlled.
