Health and Safety Top Tips for Ladder Users

HEALTH AND SAFETY TOP TIPS FOR LADDER USERS

Having one of your employees climb a stepladder, or even a step-up to get a box down from on top of a cabinet, might seem like a small risk but is it? 

1. The Health & Safety Executive recently inspected 1,759 building sites across the country and on 348 of them, work was either stopped or warnings given to improve unsafe practice  -  and working at height figured in the majority of these.

The latest figures available on accidents in the home, show that falling from height caused a staggering 341,000 injuries. Window cleaning, clearing gutters, painting and even putting up Christmas displays, are all situations where there is a real risk of injury.

So what should you be aware of, whether at work or at home, when you have to do anything that requires you to carry out any operation from anywhere above ground?

Here are 10 Top Tips -

1.  Only ever do light work and never carry more than 10 Kg (up or down) when climbing

2.  Never, ever use anything to climb up on, unless it is made for the job (e.g. don’t use a swivel chair!)

3.  Always ensure that equipment (ladder, step-ladder or step-up) is in good condition before using it

4. Never work on anything that causes you to reach too far to the side, always work ahead of yourself or nearly so

5. Have someone hold the equipment when working on it, or where that isn't practical, try to wedge it against an immoveable object (a wall or desk)

6.  Where possible, always have three points of contact when climbing (two feet and one hand or vice versa)

7. Only put the equipment on firm, level ground (not a shiny or slippery surface) and never place it on any other item (e.g. a box) to gain greater height

8. Where possible, you must still try to have a hand-hold when you are at the top

9. If possible, secure a ladder towards the top by tying it on to something e.g. around the frame of two open windows)

10.  On larger jobs, assess whether there is any safer way that the task can be carried out using equipment other than a ladder or stepladder e.g. an aluminium scaffold tower

If anyone is working at height regularly, make sure that they are properly trained and then you won’t find yourself as one of the HSE Statistics.

Tony Willson is Managing Director of award winning Helmsman Safety Services

www.helmsmansafetyservices.co.uk or call 01206 363712