Ladder and Stepladder User and Inspection

Safe Use and Inspection of Ladders and Steps

In 2017/18 there were 37 fatalities, 3317 major injuries and a further 3165 injuries that caused the injured person to be off work for 7 days or more, due to a fall from height (Source HSE).

They remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury.

1. In the blink of an eye we can hit the ground.
2. Consequences of ignoring fall protection is obvious.

About this Steps and Ladders – Safety for Users Course

The purpose of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 is to prevent death and injury caused by a fall from height. If you are an employer or you control work at height, the Regulations apply to you.

The Working at Height Regulations require all those involved with working at height activities to be competent.

Working from either ladders or step ladders, can be potentially dangerous - this course is aimed at improving knowledge about the choice, selection, pre-use checks, setting up and giving the delegate the confidence to use the equipment safely.

Steps and Ladders – Safety for Users Course Learning Outcomes

The main objectives of this training are to enable the delegate to:

1. Understand the main principles of working at height, and the health and safety aspects,
2. Learn and understand risks and hazards,
3. Know the methods for reducing risk and injuries related to the hierarchy of controls,
4. Understand the types of ladders and steps available, and be able to set them up safely,
5. Be able to inspect and identify defects with ladders and steps.

Steps and Ladders – Safety for Users Course Contents

This training course is broken down into 3 main sections:

1.Understanding Working at Height and associated hazards

Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

In this section we give an overview of where these exist, looking at the dangers associated with working at height and how to stay safe.

2.Ladder/Step Selection and safe use of equipment

This section takes an in-depth look at the kinds of equipment which might be used, where and when they should be used, their benefits, and also the risks they pose.  There are many things that need to be considered, such as the equipment’s suitability for the job and the length of time you’ll be using the equipment.

This will cover:

1. Safe selection and use of ladders or steps,
2. Setting up safely, including ground conditions, weather conditions, stability etc.
3. Practical exercise.

3.Pre-Use Checks

In this section we cover checks that should be completed on ladders or steps prior to use. We cover Ladder Standards – recently revised BS EN131, common defects found with ladders and steps, how to store and transport ladders safely and without damaging them, and what to do if defects are found.

There are no pre-requisites.