Failure of Inadequate Stepladders

An volunteer suffered bruising when the stepladders he was using failed. The stepladders were of domestic grade instead of the required industrial grade. There were no inspection or maintenance records for the stepladders and they were not tagged or logged on the ladder register. Due to their domestic grade, the static vertical load of the stepladders had also been exceeded.
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• All aluminium ladders and stepladders must be BS2037, Class 1 industrial grade, with a maximum static vertical load of 175kg. 

What you must do: 

Operatives:

• Do not use any ladders/ stepladders that are not Class 1 industrial grade
• Ensure ladders / stepladders are correctly tagged and identified on the ladder register
• Undertake a visual check before use to ensure there are no visible defects

Supervisors:

• Ensure all employees & volunteers are briefed on this alert and are aware of the minimum standard for ladders and stepladders
• Check all ladders / stepladders to identify correct class, tagging and inclusion on the ladder register
• Identify work at height requirements as part of the risk assessment / method statement process and ensure a work at height risk minimisation form is completed identifying the correct access equipment for the task

Always work to your RAMS – If anything changes, stop and speak to your supervisor

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