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Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of personal injury in the construction industry. Work undertaken that necessitates the use of a ladder should always have a thorough risk assessment carried out to minimise the risk of ladder accident.
Tips for the safe use of single length or extension ladders include:
Pre-work checks: Carry out ladder checks before each use; including feet, rungs. If you are carrying out electrical work it is safer to use a fibreglass ladder than aluminium.
Ladder placement; Careful placing of the ladder can prevent a serious personal injury accident. Check the surface on which the ladder will rest. If it is soft and muddy, or if there is loose rubble or dirt, consider finding another place to work from.
Never set up the ladder in front of a closed, unlocked door. If that is the only available place from which to work, the door should either be locked so that no-one can come through the door and knock into the ladder, or the door should be held firmly open so that people can see the safety hazard through the doorway.
Make sure the resting point for the ladder is firm; never on plastic guttering. There should be a 3 feet (91cm) extension of ladder from the point of contact with the wall or roof.
For every four units of height, the base of the ladder should be placed one unit out from the point of contact, so if the point of ladder contact is 20 feet (approx. 6 m) high, the base of the ladder should be placed five feet (approx. 1.5m) out from directly below the point of contact.
Ladder use
If extending a ladder, make sure there is enough overlap between sections to ensure stability.
Always face the ladder when climbing, grip the sides of the ladder and climb in the centre of the rungs.
Never lean out from the ladder; your navel should not go past the side rail of the ladder on either side.
Never go further than the three rungs from the top of the ladder as this provides a handhold whilst working.
Always keep both feet on the rungs while working, and work for no more than 30 minutes at a time.
Ladder accidents and help from the experts.
Further information regarding the prevention of falls from height can be found at the HSE website
All solicitors on the panel are experts in their field and proudly governed by the standards laid down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. We guarantee that you will not be charged for their services and that you will receive 100 per cent of the compensation awarded to you. If your claim is unsuccessful – you will not be charged.
If you would like to talk to one of our friendly helpline advisors, please call our free helpline on 0800 10 757 95. If you would like to choose a more suitable time, we can call you back later.
Alternatively, tell us about your ladder accident by filling out an online claim form and we will call you back when we have checked the details. Above all, remember that YouClaim’s advice is free and confidential.
