What safety guideline should always be followed when working at heights?

When working at heights, using a safety harness and securing proper fall protection is essential for ensuring personal safety. Fall protection systems are designed to prevent falls from heights, which can lead to serious injury or fatality. A safety harness, when properly worn and secured to an appropriate anchor point, can significantly reduce the risk of falling by keeping the worker suspended in case of a slip or loss of footing.

The use of fall protection measures is not just a recommendation but often required by safety regulations and standards, making it a critical protocol in the construction and maintenance industry. While wearing a hard hat, ensuring proper ladder placement, and notifying someone before climbing can contribute to safety, they do not specifically mitigate the risk of falling from heights as effectively as proper fall protection equipment does. Depending on work conditions and heights involved, fall protection systems are fundamental to a safe work environment.