Workplace Ladder Safety and Inspection Requirements

Ladder Safety in Brief

Pick the right ladder for the task, inspect it before each use and have a competent pre-use check recorded. Most ladder accidents at work come from the wrong ladder or a damaged one being used in a hurry.

Management and Use of Ladders

In the UK ladders are classed as work equipment under PUWER 1998 and fall within the scope of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 whenever they are used to work at height. This means the general work equipment requirements - suitability, maintenance, inspection, operator competence - all apply, with additional considerations on top relating to working at height.

The starting point with any ladder task is whether a ladder is the right tool for the job. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that work at height is properly planned and that equipment is appropriate for the task. For short-duration, light-duty tasks where a risk assessment supports it, a ladder is often suitable. For longer tasks, tasks requiring both hands free, or higher-risk situations, other access equipment such as scaffolding or a mobile elevated work platform may be more appropriate.

Key Requirements for Ladder Management

Pre-use inspection - every ladder should be visually checked before use. This covers the stiles for damage or deformation, rungs for wear or missing anti-slip material, feet for condition and grip, and locking mechanisms on stepladders. A defective ladder should be taken out of service immediately and not returned until repaired or replaced.

Correct set-up - a leaning ladder should be set up on a firm, level surface at the correct angle - the standard 1-in-4 ratio gives approximately 75 degrees. The ladder should be secured at the top where possible, or footed by another person if not. The top of the ladder should extend at least 1 metre above any landing point.

Three points of contact - users should maintain three points of contact at all times where possible. Ladders should not be used when carrying loads that prevent this.

Competence - anyone using a ladder should be trained in its safe use and aware of the risks involved. For organisations where ladder use is common, a training talk and a record of who has been trained is good practice.

Storage and maintenance - ladders should be stored horizontally on suitable racks or hung vertically, away from extremes of temperature and moisture. The material of the ladder matters - aluminium ladders should not be used near electrical work, and wooden ladders need particular attention to cracks and splits.

Ladder register - keeping a record of all ladders in use, including type, condition, last inspection date and any defects found, provides a clear overview and makes it straightforward to demonstrate that ladders are being managed correctly.

Ladder tags - The alternative to a register is to tag all ladders with inspection and current status details using a sticker or tag.

Falls from ladders account for a significant proportion of serious workplace injuries every year. Most are preventable. What tends to go wrong is not deliberate rule-breaking - it is using a ladder on autopilot, not checking the condition before use, setting up on an uneven surface because it is quicker, or reaching too far to one side instead of repositioning. A few minutes of thought before the job starts and making sure anyone using a ladder knows what to check makes a real difference.

This is something a lot of companies don't manage at all or well. It doesn't need to be complicated, a pre-use check doesn't need to be documented but need to ensure the worker is aware that it needs to be completed and is competent to do this. If my clients have ladders I recommend a documented annual inspection, logged either on the register or the ladder tag, and then also cover ladders in the premises inspection. Anyone using ladders should be competent and a signed training talk on the safe use of ladders covers this.

When ladder use is part of an audit I am looking for evidence that ladders are being managed rather than just used. A ladder register showing what ladders are in use, when they were last inspected and what condition they are in is a good starting point. I would also expect to see some evidence that staff have been trained in safe ladder use - a training record or a completed toolbox talk attendance form covers this. It does not need to be complicated, but it does need to exist.

Practical Compliance Guidance

Managing ladders effectively comes down to knowing what you have, keeping them in good condition and making sure anyone using them knows how to do so safely. The alphaZ document suite includes a ladder register, inspection form and safe use guidance to support this.

The documents below are available individually or as part of an alphaZ toolkit covering ISO 45001 and the relevant health and safety requirements.

alphaZ document	How to use it
ISO 9001/14001/45001 Management System Toolkit	The complete toolkit for implementing an ISO-compliant integrated management system. Includes the IMS1 manual, all policies, procedures, registers and audit checklists.
F-Q82 Ladder Register	Use to maintain a central record of all ladders in the organisation - type, material, location, condition and inspection dates. Provides the overview needed to manage ladders effectively and demonstrate compliance.
F-Q83 Ladder Inspection Form	Use to record the outcome of each ladder inspection - condition found, any defects identified and action taken. Builds a history of inspections for each ladder.
PP-7-21 Safe Use of Ladders Policy Procedure	Documents your organisation's arrangements for the safe use and management of ladders. Covers selection, inspection, storage and training requirements.
GG-7-21 Safe Use of Ladders Guidance	Guidance document on the safe use of ladders. Use alongside the policy procedure or as a reference for training.
RA-HS26 Ladders Risk Assessment	Example risk assessment for ladder use. Adapt to reflect the specific tasks, ladder types and working environment in your organisation.

Note - all the above files can be downloaded with an alphaZ subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should ladders be inspected?

A pre-use visual check should be carried out before every use - this takes only a few minutes and covers the main structural components, feet and any locking mechanisms. In addition, a more thorough periodic inspection should be completed at regular intervals and recorded. The frequency of the periodic inspection depends on how heavily the ladder is used and the conditions it is used in, but at least annually is a reasonable starting point for most organisations. Any ladder found to be defective should be taken out of service immediately regardless of when it was last inspected.

Do we need a ladder register?

There is no specific legal requirement to maintain a ladder register, but it is good practice and makes managing ladders much easier. A register gives an overview of all ladders in use, their condition and when they were last inspected - without it, it is difficult to demonstrate that ladders are being managed rather than just used. For organisations with multiple ladders or those subject to ISO certification audits, a register is straightforward to maintain and provides clear evidence of a managed approach.

Can ladders be used for any work at height task?

Not automatically. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that equipment is appropriate for the task, and ladders are suitable only where the risk assessment supports their use - typically short-duration, light-duty tasks where a more stable form of access is not reasonably practicable. For tasks requiring both hands free, tasks of longer duration, or situations where the risk of falling is higher, other access equipment should be considered. Choosing a ladder because it is convenient rather than because it is appropriate is one of the most common causes of falls from height.

Who is responsible for managing ladders?

The employer is responsible for ensuring that all work equipment, including ladders, is suitable, maintained and used safely. Day-to-day responsibility is typically assigned to a manager or H&S lead. Individual users are responsible for carrying out pre-use checks and reporting any defects they find. Having a clear procedure in place - covering who is responsible for inspections, how defects are reported and what happens when a ladder is taken out of service - makes this straightforward to manage in practice.

UK Legislation

The following UK legislation is directly relevant to the management and use of ladders. Organisations outside the UK should identify the equivalent legislation applicable in their jurisdiction.

Further Resources