The document discusses regulations and guidance around working at height, including using ladders. It provides key safety tips such as ensuring ladders are on firm, level ground and at a 75 degree angle. Ladders should only be used for light-duty short duration work and all work at height requires risk assessments and following procedures to prevent falls from causing injury. Common myths are debunked, such as the need for formal training to use ladders or a ban on their use on construction sites.

1. Working at Height Regulations
2005

2. • Statistics 2003 / 2004 (HSE)
• 67 Fatalities
• 3,884 major injuries (2/3 of which were falls from
below 2 metres

3. Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Key Messages
• Those following good practice for work at height now, sh
ould already be doing enough to comply with WAHR
• Those who plan and organise work at height and follow ri
sk assessments will generally already be compliant with
WAHR
• Those choosing the right equipment for the job will alrea
dy comply with WAHR

4. 2005 Working at Height Regulations
• All work at height is covered regardless of what
height it is performed at
• Precautions need to be taken where there is a ri
sk of injury
• Use risk assessment to decide whether precauti
ons are needed and in what form
• Precautions are ‘expected’ with work above ‘2 m
etres’, but also assess risks from falls below this
height and take sensible precautions which refle
ct the risk

5. Key Requirements
– Organise and plan work at height
– Ensure staff are competent
– Avoid risk from work at height
– Select suitable work equipment to perform work at hei
ght
– Avoid work on fragile surfaces
– Ensure work equipment is inspected
– Prevent any person falling a distance liable to cause p
ersonal injury

8. Common Myths

9. HSE have banned the use of ladders on
building sites
No, this isn’t the case. Ladders and steplad
ders can be a sensible and practical option
. They can be used for work at height when
the use of other work equipment is not justi
fied because of the low risk and short durat
ion (short duration means working on a lad
der for no more than 30 minutes at a time);
or when there are existing workplace or sit
e features which cannot be altered.

10. You need to be formally ‘qualified’ befor
e using a ladder at work
No, you do not. You need to be competent
. This means having the necessary skills, k
nowledge and experience to use a ladder p
roperly for the work you will carry out, or, if
you are being trained, you work under the
supervision of somebody who can perform
the task competently. Training often takes
place on the job and does not always have
to take place in a classroom. What matters
is that an individual can apply what they ha
ve learned in the workplace.

11. I am working at height if I’m walking up
and down a staircase at work
No, you are not. Work at height does not in
clude walking up and down a permanent st
aircase in a building.

12. You need to have two feet and one hand
on a stepladder at all times when carryi
ng out a task
No, this isn’t true. When you need to have
both hands free for a brief period to do a jo
b using a stepladder (eg putting a box on a
shelf, hanging wallpaper, installing a smok
e detector on a ceiling) you need to maintai
n three points of contact at the working pos
ition. This is not just two feet and one han
d, it can be two feet and your body (use yo
ur knees or chest to help with stability) sup
ported by the stepladder. Ensure a handhol
d is available to steady yourself before and
after.

13. HSE has banned the use of ladders to a
ccess scaffolds and you will be fined if
you ignore this ban
No, this isn’t true. Ladders can be used for
access as long as they are of the right type
(ie a suitable grade of industrial ladder), in
good condition and effectively secured (tie
d) to prevent movement. You should ensur
e they extend at least one metre above the
landing point to allow for a secure handhol
d when stepping off

14. Risk Assessment Exercise
• Retrieving balls from a flat roof
• Gutter cleaning
• Maintenance work indoors using a step ladder
• Changing light fittings in an office / corridor
• Mounting work on a wall display

15. Ladders
Toolbox Talks

16. Ladders
Questions and Answers
Q: The surface beneath a ladder should be:
A: Firm, level, clear, dry, not slippery.
Q: How many points of contact should there be with the ladder?
A: Three.
If you are not sure that it is safe to use a ladder speak to your
supervisor or the safety representative.
Disclaimer
Toolbox Talks are provided by Barbour for general guidance on matters of interest. In making these documents available to a general and diverse audience it is not possible to anticipate the re
quirements or the hazards of any particular subscriber's business. Users are therefore advised to carefully evaluate the contents and adapt the Toolbox Talks to suit the requirements of each si
tuation or activity. Barbour does not accept any liability whatsoever for injury, damage or other losses which may arise from reliance on this information and the use of these documents.
Copyright of these documents remains with Barbour and whilst subscribers are permitted to make use of them for their own purposes, permission is not granted for resale of the intellectual prop
erty to third parties.
Revised: 2010

17. Legislation and resources
• Work at Height Regulations 2005
• The Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007
• INDG401: The Work at Height Regulations
• INDG402: Safe Use of Ladders and Stepladders
• INDG405: Top Tips for Ladder and Stepladder Safety.
Ladders

18. Ladders
In use:
• only work on a ladder for a maximum of 15 - 30 minutes at a time
• only carry light materials and tools (up to 10 kg)
• always grip the ladder when climbing
• do not overreach - make sure your belt buckle (navel) stays within the stiles
• keep both feet on the same rung or step throughout the task
• do not work off the top three rungs - this provides a handhold
• try to keep three points of contact with the ladder.

19. Ladders
A leaning ladder in a good position:
• is at an angle of 75° -
one unit out for every four units up
• stands on a surface that is:
firm
level
clear
dry
not slippery
• will not move at the bottom or top
• rests on a strong upper resting point (not plastic guttering or
a window)
• has horizontal rungs (use a spirit level).
Always consid
er:
position
condition
competency
75 °

20. Ladders
A leaning ladder in good condition has:
• both feet firmly attached and with a good tread
• clean rungs
• undamaged stiles (the side pieces that the rungs are
attached to)
• secure fastenings when it is extended.

21. Ladders
INTRODUCTION
Before using a ladder, consider the following:
• are you fit to work at height?
• the condition of the ladder
• the position of the ladder.

22. Reference
Working at height guidance available from
RMBC Intranet and RGFL.