CWA Blog Archive-How To Actually Write A WAH Plan

How To Actually Write A WAH Plan

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Following an earlier piece on the importance of Work at Height certification and a written WAH plan, this article answers the practical question operators kept asking: what do I actually need to write one? The CWA's WAH Certification Program trains workers to perform tasks in compliance with health and safety regulations, with each level aligned to OSHA's authorized, competent, and qualified designations. To build the guidance, the author asked the CWA Routesetting Committee what matters most in designing a facility WAH plan. The core principle is blunt: in today's liability environment, if you don't document it, it didn't happen. You might have strong training on current practices, but if those practices aren't written down as policy, the training is hard to defend. A comprehensive WAH plan reads like a technical manual, with definitions, roles and responsibilities, and policies. That one-stop document is convenient for training and a lifesaver if an inspector ever walks in asking about your operations. The article heads off two common objections. First, "we're bouldering only, no ropes." Anyone working on a ladder is working at height, and OSHA's trigger height is just four feet, so unless your walls are under ten feet you still need a written plan. Second, "we've done it this way for decades and it's been fine." The reality is these informal systems aren't fine. Most veterans of the industry know someone who had a close call or worse. A written WAH plan turns institutional habit into defensible, teachable policy, which protects your workers first and your facility second.

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Following up on WAH certification, this lays out how to actually write the plan. The principle is blunt: if it isn't documented, it didn't happen. A good WAH plan reads like a technical manual. Bouldering-only gyms need one too, since OSHA's trigger height is just four feet.