Ladder accident claims

Many people in the UK – including window cleaners, painters and decorators and building site workers– use ladders regularly, but unfortunately, each year thousands are injured in falls. People can also be badly hurt using ladders to hang Christmas decorations, and teachers are also at risk if using ladders to put work on the wall.

Essential precautions

Prevention of a ladder accident should be a simple matter of the user or their employer putting practical measures in place to reduce risks of a fall, but if your employer fails to do so or fails to train you sufficiently, you may be eligible to make a ladder accident claim for compensation.

These precautions are likely to include securing the ladder to a stable surface at the top and, if a particularly long ladder, mid-way along its length. Its feet should also be prevented from slipping, either by technical means such as stays and grippers or human action halting possible movement.

Modern suction pads and grippers of various styles are generally efficient at holding a ladder's feet steady but there can be circumstances where they will not be effective enough to prevent a workplace accident.

Other things to consider

Ladders should also not be used under the following circumstances:

• Strong wing, rain or heavy snow
• On unstable surfaces
• If the surface the ladder is on is slippery
• If the ladder cannot be placed at a safe angle to a wall

The HSE add that should it be possible to safely clean the windows from the inside of a building, then, the window cleaner should do this rather than take the risk which climbing a ladder always presents.

Claiming with YouClaim

At YouClaim we have varied experience in making ladder claims of all kinds. If you have been injured as the result of a fall from a ladder in the workplace and feel it is due to the negligence of your employer, then call us now on 0800 10 757 95 to speak to one of our experts and find out if you are eligible to make a claim.