Who this course is for
- Anyone who works at height on a construction, mining, industrial or telecoms site
- Riggers, scaffolders, steel erectors and roof workers who are exposed to a fall risk
- Maintenance and inspection teams who access elevated plant, tanks or structures
- Supervisors who have to sign off that a crew is competent to work at height
What you will be able to do after this course
- Identify fall hazards and select the right fall-protection system for the task
- Inspect, fit and adjust a full-body harness, lanyard and shock absorber
- Select anchor points correctly and work out fall factors and ground clearance
- Carry out a basic rescue of a worker suspended in a harness
What the course covers
The course works through the duty to protect workers at height under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Construction Regulations, the hazards that cause falls on South African sites, and the equipment that controls them.
Learners cover fall-arrest and work-restraint systems, harness and lanyard selection, pre-use inspection and defect identification, anchor point selection, fall factors and ground clearance, and suspension trauma. Theory is taught in the classroom and the equipment work is done practically, because competence at height is a physical skill rather than a written one.
How you are assessed and what you receive
Assessment covers a written knowledge test and a practical on the equipment, where the learner fits and inspects a harness, connects to an anchor point and completes a basic rescue. On successful completion the learner is certificated against SAQA unit standard 229998, and the certificate can be downloaded from the Fundza portal as well as issued directly.
What this certificate is worth
Working at heights is one of the first certificates a site asks for before a worker is allowed onto a structure, and it is the competency that sits behind the fall-protection plan the Construction Regulations require. It is checked by client safety officers and at mine and construction site inductions across the country, which is why most crews carry it alongside first aid and fire fighting. Learners can download the certificate from the Fundza portal at any time, which matters when a client asks for proof at short notice.
Duration, dates and fees
| Option | Duration | Fee | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full course | 2 Days | R1,628 | First-time certification |
| Refresher | 1 Day | R980 | Already certified, renewing |
On-site delivery at your own operation is available and is usually the better option for a crew, because the practical work is done on the structures and anchor points your own teams use. For group bookings, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based.
Where and how the training runs
Training runs at the Fundza Training Institute centre in Mokopane, and on site at your own operation anywhere in the country. On-site delivery lets the practical work happen on your own structures and anchor points, which makes the training more relevant and keeps a crew off the road. For a group booking, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.
Working at heights and MEWP operator: how they differ
| Working at heights (this course) | Mobile elevated platform | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | Protecting yourself from a fall while working at height | Operating a cherry picker or scissor lift |
| Unit standard | SAQA 229998 | SAQA 243272 |
| Duration | 2 days | 5 days |
| When it is needed | Any work with a fall risk | Only where a powered platform is used |
The two are often confused. Working at heights certifies the fall-protection competency itself; the platform certificate covers operating the machine. An operator working from a platform normally needs both.
Where this course can take you
Working at heights sits at the base of the height and rigging stack at Fundza. The usual next steps are Scaffolding, Scaffold Tower Erector and Inspector, and Mobile Elevated Platform Operator, all of which assume a worker is already competent to protect themselves from a fall. Many employers book it inside the Safety Combo alongside First Aid Level 1, Fire Fighting Level 1, Basic Rigging and SHE Representative training.
Enquire about this course
Tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.