A step in the right direction
April 1st 2008

Supporting the HSE’s Shattered Lives Campaign,the Ladder Association operates a national training scheme for ladder users, supervisors and managers to ensure work at height competance and confidence

Committed to progressing safety and best practice step by step, the Ladder Association is adapting to the challenges facing the industry by positioning itself as the clear and acknowledged focus for ladders and stepladders in the marketplace.

The message from the association is unequivocal: if it’s right to use a ladder, use the right ladder and get trained to use it safely.Despite the many myths, the HSE has not banned ladders and for straightforward, short duration work, ladders and stepladders remain a good option.

Shattered Lives Campaign

The association is actively supporting the HSE’s ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign. Last year 45 workers died following a fall from height and 3750 were seriously injured. Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury.

Reducing this injury toll is a priority for the HSE and the campaign explains what happens when workers are put at risk and what can be done to safeguard against falls from height in the workplace. Taking as its theme ‘Don’t chance…change it’, the campaign aims to make sure that those involved in work at height have the knowledge and experience necessary to complete a task safely.

Work at Height Regulations

It is now three years since the Work at Height Regulations were first introduced.The Work at Height Regulations 2005, as amended by the Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007, apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. Although awareness of the regulations is high in the construction industry and generally among large firms, there remains a need to lift awareness and understanding amongst small businesses and the service sector in particular. One target remains building and plant maintenance workers.

Preventing falls from height requires sensible risk management, a principle which underpins the framework of the Work at Height Regulations and all other health and safety legislation. Sensible risk management is all about the practical steps employers should be taking to protect the health and safety of their workers.

The Ladder Association consistently stresses the HSE’s simple hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment for work at height, namely: avoiding the need to work at height wherever possible; using appropriate equipment or taking other steps to protect against falls where working at height cannot be avoided and, finally, where the possibility of a fall cannot be eliminated, using all means possible to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur.

Training

A major element of the HSE’s ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign is the clear connection between training and competency when working at height.The campaign highlights the range of skills and knowledge that an HSE or Local Authority inspector looks for when assessing competency in the workplace.

Training and the promotion of best practice are central to the activities of the Ladder Association which is why it operates a national training scheme for users, supervisors and managers wanting to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to use ladders safely and productively. The course enables delegates to:

• Identify hazards and minimise risk using the association’s STEP methodology

• Assess and determine when it is appropriate to use ladders and stepladders

• Correctly position and safely use ladders and stepladders

• Carry out the basic inspection and maintenance of ladders and stepladders

Upon successful completion, every delegate receives a certificate of competence and LadderCard as objective proof of competence. All Ladder Association training centres are audited to ensure their continuing compliance with the standards involved.

“Training is a natural and logical extension of our activities,” says Don Aers, technical manager at the Youngman Group and chair of the Ladder Association.“It is a practical expression of the association’s commitment to encouraging safety and best practice.” Information about the work of the association, and its national training scheme, can be found at www.ladderassociation.org.uk

Further information

• Work at Height Regulations 2005 SI 2005/732 The Stationary

Office 2005 (available online at: www.opsi.gov/si/sl2005/20050735.htm) as amended by the Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/114 The Stationary Office 2007 (online at: www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070114.htm)

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 SI 1999/3242 The Stationary Office 199 ISBN 0 11 085625 2

• Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 SI 1996/1592 The Stationary Office 1996 ISBN 0 11 035904 6

• HSE’s Falls from Height website:www.hse.gov.uk/falls

More articles from The Ladder Association: