Safe Use of Portable Ladders
This is for general purpose portable ladders. The guidance is slightly different for step-ladders, but the core principles are the same. I will cover those a separate, but nonetheless similar, article.
I will cover this subject in two parts: here, in part 1, I have introduced the basic principles. In part 2, I will explain in more detail how to apply them.
Ladder Law 
What goes up can come down
The first point to cover is: do you really need one?
Ladder use is primarily covered in the Working at Height Regulations (2005). While the general rules for all working at height activity is thoroughly covered throughout this legislative text, there is a dedicated section at the back that exclusively focuses on ladder use: “Schedule 6: Requirements for Ladders”. This is an extension of the main text at Regulation 8. “Requirements for Particular Work Equipment”.
In Regulation 6(2) it stipulates “… ensure that work is not carried out at height where it is reasonable practicable to carry out the work safely otherwise than at height.”
This consideration would, of course, include, the potential use ladders.
So, WAH is to be avoided wherever possible. If it is not possible to avoid it though, then Reg. 6. (3), states: “Where work is carried out at height, every employer shall take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.”
These paragraphs contains a couple of very important phrases: “suitable and sufficient” and “reasonably practicable”. We will take a closer look at exactly what they mean at another time, but for now we will press onward and upward with our purpose: safe ladder use.
4Ps 4 Safety
- Provision
- Placement
- Position
- Practice
Myth Buster
I am often confronted in my training courses with stated rumors or murmured myths about certain restrictions on ladders that are false.
To debunk some of the more prevalent:
- Ladders are legal to use
- Wooden ladders are legal to use
- A Ladder above 2 meters is legal
- It is not necessary to “tied-off” all ladders at the top
- The minimum height for Working At Height is not “2 meters”
Having a preferential instruction to avoid a method within the text of safe methods, should stress just how dangerous the activity can be.
To quote a recent SHP article:
“There were 40 fatal injuries in 2019/20. 29 of these fatalities were due to falls from height… falls from ladders, scaffolds, working platforms, roof edges and through fragile roofs.”
So, be warned: if you need them, plan, prepare, prevent!
This is not, however, saying that you cannot use ladders (as some preach). What it is saying is: if WAH cannot be avoided, and using a ladder is the most reasonably practicable option, then you need to justify your use of one, and make it safe! Usually this will mean that certain unalterable feature of the site preclude other, safer, methods, and that you ensure that the ladder is used only for low-risk activities, and used for short duration works only.
Let us, therefore, continue on the grounds (pun intended) that you have done due diligence in your WAH considerations, and your risk assessment can suitably demonstrates the necessity for its use.
Here are my four P points that contribute to the need for “suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.”
Provision: this is the “what” you have.
You must have, and use, the right ladder. This point has a sub-point to consider: (of course, it is another Ps – kind of “petit-pois” if you will). Purchase – buy the right gear!
Commercial ladders for commercial work. Ladder standards have gone through a transition recently and standards have been simplified. The standards for all ladders is now set as: EN131. They will either be classed for “Professional” or “Non-Professional” use. Once you have purchased your ladders, you must then select from your ladder-stash the right one for the task. This will include consideration of the following:
- Adequate length: you need to be aware of the significant difference between the actual length from usable length (see Part 2).
- Suitable condition: the ladder must be in good condition and fit for purpose. If the ladder is filthy, bent, in a deplorable sate structurally or cosmetically, it is not the right ladder. (More on this in Part 2).
- Appropriate construction: it must be of an appropriate material for the task; for example, non-conductive fiber-glass for electrical work; as well as anti-slip feet, endcaps and rungs, working rung-locks and suitable stiles.
Ladder Law
The primary legislation for safe ladder use is as follows: Working At Height Regulations, 2005. The highlights of which are:
Reg. 6(1): Risk Assess!
Reg. 6(2): Avoid where possible!
Reg. 6(3): Prevent (where reasonably practicable) falling a distance that would cause injury!
Reg. 6(5): Train before they climb.
Schedule 6: Core ladder rules
Falling for You
Having a preferential instruction to avoid an activity (Reg. 6) within the core text of safe methods, should stress just how dangerous the activity can be.
To quote the recent HSE statistics: “50 people died due to a fall from height in GB in 2023/24. Falling from height remains the leading cause of fatal injuries to workers.
There was a 44% increase in fall from height fatalities for the self-employed (18 deaths in 2022/23 rising to 26 deaths in 2023/24).
Reaching Heights
Schedule 6 stipulates (in a very round-about way) that 9 meters is the legal height for a ladder to rise vertically (without a rest-platform).
However, 6 meters is the accepted industry recommended limit.
If you need to reach above 6 meters, it is strongly recommended that you look to other forms of WAH: such as alloy access towers or a cherry picker.
Placement: this is the “where” you put it.
Where you put what you’ve got is crucial. I call this the “foot, face & space” check. There are three focus points:
First, the “space”. Consider where it is placed in context with the site & its environment. Is it near doors, near edges, in roads, on pavements, balanced on walls…? (You would be surprised – or perhaps even guilty!)
Then, make sure it is not going to be in contact with third parties or vehicles. Both of which should be avoided.
Proximity to entrances, walkways, roadways, and general accessibility to others must be carefully assessed. If any of these are nearby, you should consider securing, or cordoning the area. If you are in an area where there is a realistic chance of others moving close by, a barrier would be a good move: the red folding utility-gate barriers are an excellent investment (ala BT engineers).
Next consider overhead obstructions: cables, branches, protruding objects (cameras, satellite dishes, etc.) Contact with all must be avoided.
Then assess the actual contact points of the ladder: the “foot & face”. Here we are talking suitable ground (foot) and fascia (face) condition.
The goal is to ensure your ladder is “secured” before you climb. We will unpack what constitutes a “secured” ladder in part 2.
Finally, where and how you leave your ladder when not in use needs thought. Ladders should be secured even when you are not on them: if you are not careful, they could be used by others, damaged, or even stolen.
Simpler Standards
Previously there were 3 classes of ladder – Class I (heavy-duty industrial), EN131 (Light Commercial), & Class III (Light domestic), with each classification indicating a safe working load for that ladder (175kg/150kg/ 125kg respectively).
These classifications were then set to standards depending on their construction: BSEN2037 for metal or aluminium; BSEN1129 for wood; and EN131 steps & step-ladders of any material.
These are still perfectly safe and acceptable – as long as they are in good condition and ‘fit for purpose’. Many of our older ladders (brought pre-2018) will still be carrying these standards – so, no need to ditch them.
New ones, however, will carry the new simplified standard: BSEN131, and classified as either “professional” (for work) “non-professional” (for home).
Position: this is the “how” it is placed!
How we position the ladder is just as crucial as where we have placed it.
The angle, the height, and the reach all affect the stability of your ladder, and all eed careful consideration.
The angle should be a 75ﹾ (1:4); the reach should allow you access without over-stretching; and height should allow access without using the top three rungs, all within the recommended height restrictions.
Practice: This is how you actually “use” it: how you behave on the ladder.
To begin with, a ladder user must be competent. The ladder-user must be trained in the safe methods and practice as set out within the industry.
This would include observing the following: “5 to stay alive” behaviours:
- Using three points of contact
- Short duration use
- Observing “the 3-rung-rule.”
- Prevention of falling items
- Use of stability devices
The STEP Method
An alternative model is provided by the Ladder Association:
S – Site: positioning the ladder; check the surfaces. Organise and plan the work.
T – Task: short duration (≤30mins)
E – Equipment: use the right ladder, position it correctly and inspect it regularly.
P – People: competence, training and knowledge.
This simple acronym covers the basic necessities nicely. For more information on this model, check the following link: https://www.shponline.co.uk/ladder-safety-how-to-work-safely-with-ladders-and-stepladders/?elq_mid=675&elq_cid=325771
Moving On, Moving Up
So, these are my 4Ps for safe ladder use. There is a lot of really good material on the web, especially from the Ladder Association and the Federation of Window Cleaners’, and what I offer is just my assimilation of this information, and how I use and teach that information.
My hope is simply that my model may help others to remember the core principles (the 4Ps – Provision-Placement-Position-Practice) when using portable ladders, and to encourage teaching and following safe practice.
What Next?
Ladder Love – Part 2: a detailed look at each recommendation and how to apply them.
For an explanation of some of the legal-lingo used within the legislation (“reasonably practicable”; “suitable & sufficient”; “competent”) watch out for future articles.
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