Harness first, edge protection never
A harness is personal protective equipment — the bottom of Regulation 6. If edge protection or a platform was reasonably practicable, choosing a harness needs justifying, not assuming.
Working at Heights JSA (NZ)
The task-level analysis for fall risk — edge protection before harnesses, harnesses before ladders, and the notification threshold that catches people out at five metres.
⚖️HSWA + GRWM Regs 5–7
👷Reviewed by OH Professionals
✏️Editable .docx
NZD 99
Instant DownloadInstant download · Editable .docx
Falls remain the largest single source of serious harm in New Zealand construction, and the pattern in the investigations is consistent: the fall protection selected sat far too low on the hierarchy. A harness was used where edge protection was practicable. A ladder was used where a platform was practicable. This JSA is structured so the control decision is made in the right order and the reason for not going higher up the hierarchy has to be written down.
Anchor points assumed rather than verified
A harness attached to something that will not hold is worse than no harness, because it changes behaviour. The template requires the anchor to be identified and rated.
The 5m notification threshold gets missed
Construction work with a risk of falling five metres or more is particular hazardous work requiring 24 hours notice to WorkSafe. The JSA flags it at planning rather than after the fact.
Who this is for
- Roofers and cladding installers
- Pitched and low-slope roof work, edge and fragile-surface risk.
- Carpenters and framers
- Working off partly built structures, floor penetrations and open edges.
- Painters and plasterers
- Exterior work from scaffold, EWP or ladder.
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC trades
- Roof-mounted plant, ceiling voids and elevated services.
Scaffolding erection and dismantling is its own task with its own analysis, and confined space at height needs both documents.
What's inside the template
Word — 14 pages (pre-populated JSA + notification guidance + forms) · Formats: DOCX
- Section 1 — Task and scopeWork at height described, surface type, height, duration, access method, weather window.
- Section 2 — Can the work be done from the ground?The elimination question, asked first and answered in writing.grwm 6
- Section 3 — Notification checkWhether the work carries a risk of falling 5 metres or more, triggering 24 hours notice to WorkSafe as particular hazardous work.
- Section 4 — Pre-populated step analysisAccess, setup, edge treatment, the work itself, material handling at height, and egress — each with hazards and controls drafted.grwm 5
- Section 5 — Fall protection selectionOrdered decision: eliminate, then passive collective (edge protection, platforms, nets), then travel restraint, then fall arrest, then ladders. Justification required to move down.
- Section 6 — Anchor points and equipmentAnchor identification, rating, inspection date, harness and lanyard records, and clearance calculation below the work.
- Section 7 — Fragile surfacesIdentification, marking and control — a recurring cause of serious harm in re-roofing work.
- Section 8 — Dropped objectsExclusion zones, toe boards, tool tethering and the interface with anyone working below.
- Section 9 — Weather and stop-work criteriaWind, rain and surface condition thresholds, with the person authorised to stop the work named.
- Section 10 — Rescue planSuspension trauma is time-critical. Where fall arrest is used, the retrieval method and time to rescue must be recorded before work starts.
- Section 11 — Pre-start and crew sign-onChanges since the JSA was written, and every person signing on.
- Appendix A — Ladder use decision aidWhen a ladder is defensible and when it is not.
- Appendix B — Equipment inspection recordHarness, lanyard, anchor and retrieval equipment.
Compliance checklist
HSWA 2015 ss.30, 34, 36 · GRWM Regulations 2016 regs 5–7
A Job Safety Analysis is not a named statutory document in New Zealand — unlike an Australian SWMS, no regulation requires one by that name. Its weight comes from the duties it discharges, and from the fact that main contractors and prequalification schemes treat it as the expected evidence that a high-risk task was thought through before it started.
- GRWM reg 5Identify hazards that could give rise to reasonably foreseeable risks to health and safety→ Step-by-step breakdown — hazards identified against each step rather than for the task as a whole
- GRWM reg 6Eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable; otherwise minimise by substitution, isolation, engineering, then administrative controls, then PPE→ Control column — every control declares its hierarchy level
- GRWM reg 7Ensure control measures are effective and maintained so they remain effective→ Verification and pre-start review sections
- HSWA s36Primary duty of care — ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable→ Residual risk assessment and the sign-on record
- HSWA s34Consult, cooperate and coordinate with other PCBUs where duties overlap→ Interfacing trades section — who else is affected by this task and how it is coordinated
How this template compares
The most common alternative in New Zealand is an Australian SWMS with the branding changed. It is worth being precise about why that is a problem.
Reviewed by OH Professionals
Written and reviewed by the occupational health and safety team at OH Consultant. These are drafted as New Zealand Job Safety Analyses, not as Australian SWMS with the terminology swapped. That distinction is substantive: a SWMS is an instrument created by Australian WHS regulation for high-risk construction work, with prescribed content and a statutory trigger. New Zealand has no equivalent provision, so a document presented as a "NZ SWMS" is citing a requirement that does not exist here.
Legislation referenced
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — Section 30 — Management of risks ↗
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — Section 34 — Duty of PCBUs to consult, cooperate, and coordinate ↗
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — Section 36 — Primary duty of care ↗
- Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 — Regulation 5 — Duty to identify hazards ↗
- Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 — Regulation 6 — Hierarchy of control measures ↗
- Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 — Regulation 7 — Duty to maintain control measures ↗
- AS/NZS 1715 — Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment ↗
Frequently asked
At what height do I need to notify WorkSafe?+
Construction work with a risk of falling 5 metres or more is particular hazardous work requiring at least 24 hours notice to WorkSafe before it starts. Erecting or dismantling scaffolding with a risk of falling 5 metres or more is separately listed. Section 3 of the JSA runs that check at planning stage.
Is there a height below which fall protection is not needed?+
No. New Zealand does not operate a threshold below which falls are acceptable — the duty is to manage the risk so far as is reasonably practicable at any height, and serious harm from falls under three metres is common. The 5 metre figure is a notification trigger, not a safety trigger, and conflating the two is a frequent and consequential error.
Why does the template push back on harnesses?+
Because a harness is PPE, which Regulation 6 places last. It protects one person, only if worn correctly, only if the anchor holds, and only if they can be retrieved quickly after a fall. Edge protection protects everyone on the roof regardless of what they are wearing. Where edge protection is reasonably practicable, the harness is the weaker choice.
What is a rescue plan and why is it required before work starts?+
Someone suspended in a harness after a fall is on a clock — suspension trauma can be life-threatening well before emergency services arrive. If your fall protection is fall arrest, you need a method of getting the person down that you can execute yourself, planned in advance. Section 10 will not close without it.
Is a JSA the same as a SWMS?+
In substance they do the same job — break a task into steps and assign hazards and controls to each. In law they are not the same. A SWMS is an Australian instrument required by Australian WHS regulation for high-risk construction work, with prescribed content. New Zealand has no equivalent provision, which is why the NZ convention is Job Safety Analysis or Task Analysis. If a supplier is selling you a "New Zealand SWMS", they are selling you an Australian document.
Is a JSA legally required in New Zealand?+
Not by name. What is required is that you identify hazards under GRWM Regulation 5, apply controls in the hierarchy order under Regulation 6, and keep them effective under Regulation 7. A JSA is how those duties are discharged at task level, and main contractors and prequalification schemes ask for it as a matter of course.
How does this relate to my SSSP?+
The SSSP is the project-level plan covering how health and safety is managed across the whole site. Job Safety Analyses sit underneath it — one per higher-risk task. On a typical job you have one SSSP and several JSAs, and the SSSP indexes them.
Who should complete and sign it?+
Someone competent in the work, with the crew who will actually do the task involved in developing it rather than handed a finished document. The sign-on section records that involvement, which is the part that distinguishes a JSA that was used from one that was filed.
How often does it need reviewing?+
Before each use, at minimum as a pre-start check for anything that has changed — different site conditions, different plant, different crew, weather. The pre-start section exists for that. A full review is warranted after any incident involving the task, or when the method or equipment changes.
Can I edit it for my business?+
Yes — it ships as an editable .docx with a single-buyer licence covering use across your own business and its projects. It is a starting point that reflects standard practice for the task, not a substitute for assessing the specific job in front of you. It is not licensed for resale or redistribution as your own template product.