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Personal injury, youclaim.co.uk

Avoid sustaining a fall from height injury when using ladders and stepladders


Inappropriate and incorrect use of ladders and stepladders cause many personal injuries and even a small amount of fatalities every year. To help prevent a worker from sustaining a fall from height injury, employers should ensure that they adhere to the correct health and safety regulations.

Working at height should be avoided altogether whenever possible, in some cases another method or other access equipment may be better suited to complete the task.

If the use of a ladder or stepladder is unavoidable for a job, a number of factors need to be considered:

  • the ladder or step ladder should not remain in one position for more than 30 minutes;

  • ladders and stepladders are not suitable for heavy work. If a worker needs to carry an item weighing more than 10kg, the ladder or steps must be justified by a detailed handling assessment;

  • a ladder or stepladder should only be used providing it has a suitable handhold;

  • the worker should always be able to maintain three points of contact (one hand and two feet for example) when working on a ladder or stepladder. If this is not possible, other measures are required to prevent a fall or lessen the consequences of one.

Employers must ensure that they have informed all workers about the dangers of overloading a ladder – the person climbing up and anything they are carrying must not exceed the maximum weight stated on the ladder.

Employees should also be careful not to overreach, plus, their belt buckle or navel should not reach above the stiles of the ladder and both feet should remain on the same rung throughout the task.

When using a stepladder, a worker should not attempt to carry out a job by placing the ladder so that it is sideways on to a wall. Instead, the ladder should face towards the wall so that it offers better stability to the worker.

Have you been involved in a fall from height accident?
Fall from height accidents can cause victims to sustain terrible injuries, including back injuries and head injuries. Unfortunately, employers do not always adhere to health and safety regulations which can ultimately lead to a member of staff making a compensation claim for their pain, suffering and loss of earnings.

Here at YouClaim, we make the process of seeking personal injury compensation completely risk free. If we believe you have a case, we will appoint an expert solicitor to represent you. Win or lose, you won't have to pay us a penny.

To find out more about making a compensation claim for your fall from height injury, call one of our legal advisors today on 0800 10 757 95.