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Ladder Safety Guidelines
- The Health and Safety Executive outlines a time limit of no more than 30 minutes for work on stepladders and leaning ladders. Working on either of these pieces of equipment for longer than 30 minutes increases the risk of worker fatigue.
- Stepladders must be tall enough for the worker to reach the work area safely.
- If using a ladder is essential and if the risks of using a ladder are assessed and it is considered safe to do so, then minimise the risk by:
- Ensuring the person using the ladder is competent.
- Consider Working at Height training.
Factors Affecting Working Length of a Ladder
- Task Requirements: The nature of the task being performed is one of the primary factors to consider when determining the working length of a ladder. Different tasks require users to reach different heights.
Additional Information about Ladders
- The ladder base should be one foot away from the building for every four feet of height. This is the 4 to 1 rule for setup.
- Ladders are not suitable for strenuous or heavy tasks. Use other access equipment if possible for over 30 minutes work.
- Ladders can provide access when stairs are not reasonably practicable. They can be used as workplaces when other options are impractical and risks are low. But ladders should not replace proper scaffolds or lifts for high work. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) covers training, inspection, and setup.
