There are many different types of ladders available on the market today, each with their own features and benefits.

Telescopic ladders are currently particularly popular, as they are fantastic for carrying out a number of different tasks, both in and outside the home.

Window Cleaning

If you don’t have a regular window cleaner, you’ll know just how difficult it can be to clean your windows yourself. However, with the help of a telescopic ladder, you will be able to safely reach windows both upstairs and downstairs- leaving them looking sparkling clean.

Cleaning gutters

In the autumn and winter in particular, gutters are susceptible to getting blocked. High winds can cause all sorts of debris to lodge themselves and cause blockages when rainfall is heavy. With the help of a telescopic ladder, you can keep an eye on gutters and ensure that they stay debris free.

Wallpapering

Telescopic ladders are great for wallpapering as they can be extended rung by rung- so whatever the height of you walls you can ensure your wallpapering is carried out safely and securely.

In addition to the above, telescopic ladders are perfect for a multitude of domestic tasks and are an cost effective and long lasting investment.

The New Year is a time when many people start to make plans to give their home a much needed makeover. Freshly painted walls, new wallpaper or new furnishings- the possibilities are endless.

Whatever form of improvements you’re planning on carrying out, one thing’s for sure- you need to carry them out safely.

If you’re carrying out tasks at a height, you need to make sure you use the right ladder for the job, otherwise you could end up having a serious accident.

There are many different types of ladders on the market today, so determining which one is the best for you can be a little tricky.

For general tasks around the home, a multi purpose extension ladder is a great investment, as they are available in a range of sizes and are easy to store.

For jobs where you just need a little helping hand with height, opt for a platform step ladder- these ladders are sturdy and great for tasks such as wallpapering and changing lighting.

One of the most important things to remember when choosing ladders is to ensure that the set that you choose is tall enough to enable you to carry out your tasks as safely as possible. Maximum weight restrictions should also be adhered to.

If you have just been into your loft to get your Christmas decorations you will be well aware of how difficult it can be to retrieve them if you haven’t got a proper loft ladder. A loft ladder is the only way you can get into your loft safely and using a chair to stand on or even a set of steps is not only foolish it’s a sure fire way to spend the Christmas holiday’s in plaster.

Loft ladders can be fitted above your loft hatch and quickly lowered when needed so that you can get access to anything you may have stored in the loft. They are perfectly safe to use and most have some sort of handles to hold to make getting into and out of the loft much easier.

So, before you have to put those decorations away for another year have a loft ladder fitted, you might not use it very often but it’s an essential item and can not only make getting into and out of your loft easier, it can make it safer too.

Demonstrating just how important it is to have safe and stable ladders in the workplace, a firm was this week fined nearly £13,000 after one of their employees fell off an unsuitable ladder.

National Tyres and Autocare in Nottingham were found guilty of failing to make sure that work at height was carried out safely, and also of failing to provide a safe system of work.

A hearing at Nottingham Magistrates revealed that an employee was stacking tyres onto a rack using an unsteady ladder, and had to grab on to the rack to keep his balance. This resulted in the beam breaking loose, which led to the employee falling off the ladder.

In addition to a fine of £12,800, they were also ordered to pay £3,300 costs, plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Nottingham City Council’s Councillor Katrina Bull commented:

“The health and wellbeing of workers in Nottingham is really important. This case is a good example of why businesses should follow safety advice to prevent their staff or the public getting injured.”

“Falling from height is the number one cause of fatal injuries to workers, accounting for 58 of the 229 work-related deaths in 2007/8. Falls from height also cause major injuries, accounting for 3,235 (12per cent) of the 27,976 reported in 2007/8. Ladders were the most commonly cited cause of major injuries for both high and low falls, followed by scaffold for high falls, and vehicles for low falls.”

This shows just how important it is for companies who regularly use ladders to ensure that the equipment is sturdy and fit for purpose, or they could find themselves in very hot water.

Using old or unstable ladders can be a recipe for disaster, and can lead to serious and even fatal injuries.

Before using a ladder, it’s important to check it over thoroughly to ensure that it’s fit to use. However, it seems as though some people are failing to do this, as between 2008 and 2009, 35 people died and over 4,500 were injured as a result of an unsuitable ladder.

This is why the Health and Safety Executive launched a ladder amnesty- which allows businesses to get their ladders checked over, and get rid of any that are potentially dangerous.

The Health and Safety Executive’s Peter Brown said:

“We’ve had more than 900 ladders exchanged so far and we’re keen for more businesses to make the most of the offer before the end of the month. If you take a chance with ‘dodgy’ ladders you are risking your life.”

“Every month more than 100 people fall off a ladder at work and suffer serious injuries. So many of these accidents are avoidable and having safe equipment makes a huge difference.”

Over 900 ladders have been surrendered so far, but if you want to take advantage of the scheme you need to be quick as it ends on the 31st of December.

If you’ve just fled the nest and moved into your own home, one essential that you’re sure to need over the years is a decent ladder!

You’ll be surprised at just how often you’ll need to use ladders, and if your new home is in need of some serious renovation you’ll be needing one a lot sooner than you might think!

Ladders are essential in carrying out home improvements, garden work and exterior work such as drains and chimneys.

However, choosing the right ladder for your needs can be a little confusing, as there are just so many different styles to choose from.
A basic step ladder is essential in any home, and can be used in carrying out an endless amount of tasks.

However, if you’re likely to be carrying out a lot of exterior work then extension ladders could be your best bet. One of the fantastic things about extension ladders is that they are extremely versatile and can be used as 1, 2 or 3 piece ladders.

Telescopic ladders are ideal if you’re short on storage space, as they’re very compact to store and can are fully retractable.

Choose a quality ladder, and it will last you for years to come and see you through all that tricky DIY you’re likely to be undertaking!

A street lamp in Northumberland is at the centre of a storm, as the local council have stated that it can’t be fixed using a ladder.

The street lamp- which simply has a broken bulb- has now been out of action for days, and it doesn’t look as though it’s likely to be fixed any time soon, as Northumberland County Council claim they have a lengthy waiting list.

The street lamp is situated on a dark cut through, which makes it all the more imperative that it gets fixed.

However, the council have stated that health and safety regulations dictate that ladders are not safe enough to be used, and that special scaffold towers will have to be assembled.

This had let to disbelief from many members of the public and even fellow members of the council. Councillor Steven Bridget said:

“It is ridiculous. Give me a disclaimer, show me how to do it, give me a ladder and somebody to hold it at the bottom and I will go up and change it.”

However, a spokesperson for the council insisted:

“Due to the high volume of street lighting faults reported at this time of year, there has been a delay in repairing this light in Rothbury, which is situated on a narrow footpath with a steep incline.

“Due to health and safety requirements we are unable to use ladders on such sites, so we have to erect temporary scaffolding to access the lantern.

“The scaffolding was erected to follow health and safety recommendations for our staff. The scaffolding was hired at a commercial rate.”

Never before have street lamps and ladders caused such furore, and this saga looks like it’s set to drag on and on!

Teachers in Wokingham, Berkshire are going back to the classroom as pupils, as they are being taught how to climb ladders correctly.

Teachers must undergo the ‘height activity’ training in order to be allowed to hang up pupils’ paintings and artwork.

The move comes as a teacher received a whopping £82,000 in compensation for injuries which resulted from falling off a ladder while hanging pupils work back in 2004.

Manager of children’s services at Wokingham Council, Andy Couldrick, said:

“The council can confirm in October 2004, a ladder collapsed and injured a teacher at one of the borough’s schools.
“At the time, the school, the council and its insurers carried out a full investigation.
“The law is strict in requiring that all equipment should be fit for purpose, be maintained in good condition and that staff be properly trained in its use.
“In this case, it came to light that inadequate training and instruction had been given to the injured member of staff. The ladder itself was not used again.
“The school involved in the incident carried out a post accident risk assessment and lessons learnt were shared with all schools in the Wokingham borough.
“Work at height training is now part of a rolling training programme to ensure that relevant staff are trained prior to undertaking work at height activities.”

Hopefully, the training will now help to significantly reduce the number of accidents involving ladders within the borough’s 60 schools.