Safe use of ladders and stepladders at work

Falls when working at height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality.

H&S

Ladders and stepladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.

To help you make sure you use the right type of ladder, and that you know how to use it safely, the HSE website has guidance on safe use of ladders and stepladders at work. It includes:

• more detail on competency, and what that means for ladder users and those managing ladder use on site
• safety advice for using telescopic ladders
• practical tips for using combination and multi-purpose ladders
• good practice for securing ladders

You can also download the guidance document from the HSE website Safe use of ladders and stepladders, which was jointly produced by HSE and the Ladder Association.

Ladders and stepladders are not banned under health and safety law.

The law calls for a sensible, proportionate approach to managing risk, and ladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.

There are simple, sensible precautions you should take to stay safe when using portable leaning ladders and stepladders in the workplace.

Make sure that you use the right type of ladder and that you know how to use it safely.

Before using a ladder, you should have access to user instructions from the manufacturer in case you need to refer to them.

You should always carry out a ‘pre-use’ check to spot any obvious visual defects to make sure the ladder is safe to use.

A pre-use check should be carried out:

• by the person using the ladder
• at the beginning of the working day
• after something has changed, eg a ladder has been dropped or moved from a dirty area to a clean area (check the state or condition of the feet)

The check should include:

• the stiles – make sure they are not bent or damaged, as the ladder could buckle or collapse
• the feet – if they are missing, worn or damaged the ladder could slip. Also check the ladder feet when moving from soft/dirty ground (eg dug soil, loose sand/stone, a dirty workshop) to a smooth, solid surface (eg paving slabs), to make sure the actual feet and not the dirt (eg soil, chippings or embedded stones) are making contact with the ground
• the rungs – if they are bent, worn, missing or loose, the ladder could fail
• any locking mechanism – does the mechanism work properly? Are components or fixings bent, worn or damaged? If so, the ladder could collapse. Ensure any locking bars are fully engaged
• the stepladder platform – if it is split or buckled, the ladder could become unstable or collapse
• the steps or treads on stepladders – if they are contaminated, they could be slippery; if the fixings are loose on the steps, they could collapse

If you spot any of the above defects, do not use the ladder and tell the person in charge of the work.

Contact us for further information.