Falls from Ladders and Ladder Safety

A third of all reported fall-from-height incidents involve ladders and stepladders, on average this accounts for 13 deaths and 1200 major injuries to workers. To try and reduce the number of deaths and injuries, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched an initiative designed to promote the safe use of ladders and step ladders.

Virtually all workplaces have staff involved in some form of working from heights. Catering staff often work from heights using ladders or stepladders when placing dry goods on high shelves, when cleaning the extract canopy or when cleaning shelving. The HSE believes that the majority of falls from ladders are caused by inappropriate or incorrect use of equipment.

What about your procedures?

Do you have procedures in place to ensure that your staff work safely when using ladders? Are you confident that your staff are able to make suitable decisions to prevent injuries?

As an employer you must do all that is reasonably possible to prevent your employees from becoming injured at work. The HSE believe that most accidents can be prevented by good management and supervision, combined with effective training. Many of the following accidents could have been prevented:

• A maintenance man lost his footing on the second rung of a ladder and fell
• A kitchen assistant fell from an unsecured ladder
• A kitchen porter overreached when removing dry goods from a high shelf and fell

Many accidents from heights often occur during simple routine cleaning tasks. What procedures do you have in place to check that your staff use ladders safely? Do you have a system to check that ladders and stepladders are safe to use?

How can you protect your staff? Below are some simple steps to consider when working from heights:

Key advice to staff working at heights:

• Don’t start work until you have planned what you are going to do, and the risks involved.
• Fully consider all the ways you could be at risk from falling – consider alternative ways to do the job.
• Don’t underestimate the risks.
• Decide what equipment is required. Make sure it is not defective e.g. are all the ladder rungs in good condition? ‘Making do’ can result in injury or death and can lead to prosecution.
• Check that the equipment is level.Ladders can be levelled using specifically designed devices but not by using bits of brick or whatever else is at hand.
• Check that the ladder or stepladder is long enough for the job. Remember over-reaching could lead to an accident.
• Is the weather suitable?
• Do not use ladders in strong or gusting winds.
• Ensure that robust and sensible footwear is worn. Shoes should not have long or dangling laces, or be thick with mud or slippery contaminants. As with all work equipment, users need adequate information and training to be able to use ladders and stepladders safely.

On a ladder or stepladder, do not:

• Move them while standing on the rungs / steps
• Slide down the stiles
• Stand them on moveable objects, such as pallets and bricks
• Extend a ladder while standing on the rungs