Using Ladder Safety Guide

People falling off unstable ladders is a common injury around the home & business.

"Your wife might say, 'Oh, can you get up there and prune that branch?' , 'or, can you please sort out that leaking pipe?' So they lean the ladder against the tree or a wall, and often it's a case of them putting the ladder on the wrong side of the cut, or wrong angle and the whole thing goes.

"Say you're screwing something on a wall above your head with both hands [and] you lose balance. You haven't got time to put your hand out to steady yourself."

As you can see there are simple situations where Ladder can simply go, so we have put together the following small guide which can help.

First and foremost make sure you can carry the Ladder to your work location safely, then ensure that there is enough space around you to fully extend the ladder to its full length needed.

• First make sure that you secure any ladder where possible.
• Avoid working from the ladder in a side on position.
• Do not work above the top 3 rungs as this provides a handhold.
• Make sure that the steps to the ladder are clean before using it.
• Make sure that the surface you lay the ladder is dry and clean
• Ensure you use any locking devices correctly and re-check them to be sure they are in place properly.
• Keep both feet on the same rung when working from the ladder
• Do not over reach when using a ladder as this can lead to fatal accidents (if in doubt come down and re place the ladder in a better position.
• Always grip the ladder on the climb up and down to ensure you are as safe as possible.
• When carrying weight up the ladder ensure you carry no more than 10kg’s in weight.
• Stick to short time on the ladder and come down for frequent short breaks.
• Make sure you have a strong upper resting point for the ladder (plastic guttering is not sufficient for this).
• Always ensure that you check the ladder for broken parts & stability before using it. Making sure that the ladder is solidly in place and checking the feet to ensure that they are in a good position for grip, and that there is no change of slippery floor.

If you are unsure of the tasks at hand and need someone to come with the correct tools and safety to your property, please contact us today as we only a (678) 593 3221 call away.