Snakes And Ladders
The Ladder Association outline the ups and downs of safety measures in the Working at Height sector, and take a look at why the new HSE regulation is a cause for celebration.
The Ladder Association has welcomed the decision by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) not to change the Work at Height Regulations, after the HSE completed its review recommended by Professor Ragnar Lofstedt. In particular, the Association has welcomed the introduction of the HSE’s new revised and simplifi ed guidance documents, one of which focused completely on ladders – INDG455 ‘Safe use of ladders and step ladders – A brief guide’ (formerly INDG402 & 3).
This follows HSE’s conclusion that where problems existed with the application of the Regulations, they arose from their misinterpretation rather than from the Regulations themselves. The guidance brings together advice on how to use and inspect ladders in a single, simple, seven-page document, in an effort to ensure that ladder users are clear on what the law says, and do not either miss vital precautions they should be taking, or over-compensate when further steps are not necessary.
Developed in conjunction with the Ladder Association and other principal stakeholders, the new guidance is unambiguous. In a box in bold at the beginning of the document, it makes clear, subject to risk assessment, that ladders remain a sensible and practical option in the workplace. Overall, it emphasises the Ladder Association’s statement that if it’s right to use a ladder, to use the right ladder and to use it safely are of vital consideration.
Ladder Association Chairman, Cameron Clow, said: “Ladders are a versatile and invaluable piece of workplace equipment but, like all other forms of access equipment, there are some common sense rules for using them safely. It’s all about sensible and proportionate management of the risks.
56 | WORKING AT HEIGHT
“Fortunately, we now have some straightforward, easy-to-understand guidance from the HSE that confi rms and reinforces this message and, at the same time, provides advice on the often simple, but sensible, precautions that those using ladders and step ladders should take to keep safe and avoid falls from height.
“More often than not, these falls are caused by inappropriate or incorrect use, which is why the Ladder Association manages and delivers a national training scheme for users, supervisors and managers wanting to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and confi dence necessary to use ladders safely and productively. Encouragingly, delegate numbers are now at an all time high.” Also released was INDG401 ‘Work at height – A brief guide to the law’, which takes a similar approach, but looking more generally at working at height across all forms of access.
A founding member of the Access Industry Forum (AIF), the Ladder Association is the only trade body dedicated to providing ladder users with the information and skills they need to use ladders and step ladders safely and productively. Working in collaboration with manufacturers, suppliers, policy makers and key infl uencers – including the HSE – it uses the collective experience and expertise of its members to advance the height safety agenda.
The HSE’s new guidance, along with refreshed and updated working at height web pages, can be found on the ‘Work at Height’ section of the HSE website (
hse.gov.uk), while general ladder advice is available from the Ladder Association’s site below.
ladderassociation.org.uk
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
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