The most common causes of falls from ladders and what you can do to prevent them (Part 1)

The most common falls from ladders can be fit into four broad categories:

• Over reaching
• Slipping from the ladder
• The ladder slips or wobbles
• The ladder breaks

We will try to give some examples of the above instances and suggest solutions to these potential dangers below:

Over reaching

• If your body is not centred between the stiles of the ladder then you are overreaching.
• Keep your navel within the stiles at all times to keep your body in the correct position.
• Keep three points of contact with the ladder at all times. This means keeping both feet firmly positioned on a rung and one hand firmly gripping the ladder when carrying out work with the other hand.

Slipping and falling off the ladder

• Is the user trained to use the ladder? Ladder training is essential so that all users are aware of the potential dangers and know how to correctly use the ladder.
• Remember to keep the three points of contact rule in mind when using the ladder.
• The rungs of a ladder should always be kept clean and in a good working condition.
• Wear the right type of footwear when using a ladder – slippery feet can exacerbate problems.
• Is the user fit to be working from a ladder?
• Check the surface the ladder is positioned on is level, firm and the feet are in good condition.

We will discuss the ladder slipping or breaking in the next article.