HSE publishes free guides to ladder safety

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is publishing new free guides to help raise awareness of the risks associated with ladder use and to give advice on how to use ladders safely.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is publishing new free guides to help raise awareness of the risks associated with ladder use and to give advice on how to use ladders safely.

The guides are aimed at all users of ladders and their employers and have been published as part of the HSE's campaign to reduce falls from height.

Last year 13 people died from falls while working on a ladder, and more than 1200 people suffered major injuries.

The HSE's guidance builds on the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which came into force on 6 April 2005, and comprises: 'Safe use of ladders and stepladders - an employers' guide'; 'A toolbox talk on leaning ladder and stepladder safety', for employers giving refresher training to ladder users; and 'Top tips for ladder and stepladder safety', a pocket card for workers, giving key messages on ladder use.

These can be found as free PDFs to download from the HSE's website by searching for, respectively, indg402, indg403 and indg405.

Commenting on the new guides, Dr Elizabeth Gibby, director of the Injuries Reduction Programme at the HSE, says: "Falls from ladders cause death and major injury - nearly a third of major injuries from falls from height each year are caused by falls from ladders.

"Falls from ladders also result in considerable trauma for the people injured, their colleagues, family and friends, and considerable costs for employers.

"These falls are preventable if people plan work properly, assess the risks and choose the right work equipment when working at height.

"The new guide, toolbox talk and pocket card will help managers and workers to sensibly manage the risks associated with ladder use.

"Ladders should only be used for low risk, short duration work.

"If a ladder is the right equipment to use, it should be in good condition, prevented from slipping and used by competent people.

"There should always be a handhold available".

Barrie Weatherall, chairman of the Ladder Systems Manufacturers Association (LaSMA), says: "This guidance is fully supported by the ladder equipment manufacturers' trade associations - LaSMA, the British Association of Ladder Safety Equipment Manufacturers (BALSEM), the British Ladder Manufacturers Association (BLMA) and the Ladder Stabilisers Manufacturers Association.

"These associations and others were involved in the development of this guidance.

"LaSMA applauds the huge amount of work and effort that HSE has invested introducing the new Work at Heights Regulations and guidance.

"HSE has done a great job in ensuring that these new rules are workable by encouraging the manufacturers of access equipment and industrial users to talk to each other".

Terry Hunter, chairman of BALSEM, says: "BALSEM congratulates HSE for its sensible approach to reducing the number of deaths and serious accidents caused by the inappropriate use of ladders".

The guide, toolbox talk and pocket card are also available as hard copy documents (numbers INDG 402, 403 and 405) from HSE Books.

'Safe use of ladders and stepladders - an employers' guide' covers when to use a ladder, how to choose the right ladder for the job, preventing the ladder from slipping, handholds, checking the ladder to make sure it is in good condition, ensuring you have competent users and maintenance requirements.

It gives clear examples of do's and don'ts to show how to work safely and how accidents can happen.

'A toolbox talk on leaning ladder and stepladder safety' is aimed at employers and is intended as refresher training for ladder users.

Employers will deliver the Toolbox Talk to employees who use ladders and stepladders in their work to help improve staff competence by reinforcing key safety issues that should be covered in their training.

The Talk is divided into three sections: hazards and pre-use checks, correct positioning and safe use.

'Top tips for ladder and stepladder safety' gives the key messages contained in the guidance for both ladders and stepladders, in a pocket card format which workers will be able to carry around with them whilst working.

Ladders Week (14 - 18 November 2005) is a national initiative to promote safe use of ladders.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005, which came into force on 6 April this year, state that a ladder should only be used where a risk assessment demonstrates that the use of more suitable work equipment is not justified because of the low risk, and short duration of use or existing features on site that cannot be altered.

The HSE has published a brief guide to the Regulations, available as a PDF for freely downloading from the HSE's website (search for indg401).

Further information to help duty holders and people who work at height safely is available for free on the HSE's website (see 'Falls from Height' under 'Health and Safety Topics').

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