ABOUT
"Advancing Capability. Improving Safety Outcomes."
Image provided by the NSW State Library (Public Domain)
Building Capability. Advancing Practice. Improving Safety Outcomes.
The Working at Height Association of Australia (WAHA) is Australia’s leading community of practice dedicated to improving safety outcomes for people exposed to gravity-related risks.
As a not-for-profit industry association, WAHA brings together professionals from across industry, including safety leaders, engineers, designers, asset owners, trainers, manufacturers, installers, regulators and operational practitioners who share a common goal:
Reducing injuries and fatalities through better understanding, better decision-making, and better practice.
While many organisations focus on compliance, WAHA focuses on capability.
We believe lasting improvements in safety occur when people not only understand what the rules require, but also develop the knowledge, judgement and professional capability needed to recognise, assess and manage risk in complex and changing environments.
Why we exist
Despite decades of regulatory development, falls from height remain one of Australia’s leading causes of workplace fatalities and serious injuries.
The challenge is rarely a lack of rules.
More often, incidents occur because hazards are misunderstood, risks are normalised, controls are poorly implemented, or critical decisions are made without a full appreciation of the consequences.
WAHA exists to help bridge this gap between compliance and capability.
Our role is to support industry in developing the technical knowledge, practical competence, leadership capability and risk awareness necessary to achieve safer outcomes for those working at height, in confined spaces and in other high-risk environments where gravity-related hazards exist.
a community of practice
WAHA is more than an industry association.
We are a community of practice.
Our members contribute knowledge, experience and expertise from across multiple sectors and disciplines to collectively advance industry understanding and improve practice.
Through collaboration, discussion, research, guidance development and professional engagement, we create opportunities for industry to learn from one another and address emerging challenges together.
By connecting people who design, manage, supervise and perform high-risk work, WAHA helps turn experience into shared knowledge and shared knowledge into improved outcomes.
What we do
WAHA works to strengthen safety capability across industry through:
- Development of technical guidance and industry resources
- Contribution to Australian Standards and industry consultation
- Promotion of safe design principles and risk-based decision making
- Support for professional development and competency improvement
- Industry research and thought leadership
- Facilitation of knowledge sharing and collaboration
- Advocacy for evidence-based approaches to safety
- Recognition and promotion of industry best practice
Our work extends across working at height, confined spaces and related high-risk activities where understanding and managing gravity-related hazards is critical.
our principles
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Safety Beyond Compliance - Compliance establishes the minimum standard. We strive to help industry achieve better outcomes through capability, competence and critical thinking. - Evidence-Based Practice - We promote solutions informed by research, operational experience and industry expertise.
- Collaboration - Complex safety challenges are best solved through collective knowledge and shared learning.
- Professional Excellence - We advocate for high standards of design, installation, training, leadership and operational practice.
- Continuous Improvement - Safety is not a destination but an ongoing pursuit of learning, adaptation and improvement.
Our Vision
A future where every person exposed to gravity-related risks returns home safely because organisations, leaders and workers possess the capability, knowledge and judgement needed to make safe decisions.
Our Mission
To improve safety outcomes by advancing knowledge, capability and professional practice in working at height, confined spaces and other gravity-risk environments.
We achieve this by connecting industry, sharing expertise, developing guidance, influencing standards and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
industry leadership through community
WAHA’s strength comes from its members.
Every member contributes to a broader effort to improve safety outcomes across Australia by sharing expertise, challenging assumptions, supporting innovation and helping raise standards of practice.
Together, we are building a stronger, more informed and more capable professional community dedicated to preventing injuries and fatalities associated with work at height, confined spaces and other gravity-related hazards.