Falls from height continue to be the main cause of workplace fatality and one of the main causes of major injury. A fall from a ladder can have dire consequences not just for the worker concerned, but for their employer and their family. Of the 3,409 serious injuries from falls from height in 2006/07, around a third resulted from a fall from a ladder.
The HSE are determined to improve the safety of those working from ladders and from June 2007 have been doing a lot of work with their partners in local authorities and with hirers and ladder retailers to get ‘dodgy’ ladders out of the workplace. By the end of last year 4,194 dodgy ladders had been taken out of Britain’s workplaces.
The HSE have a simple message to ladder users. If it is right to use a ladder, use the right ladder, use it safely. If it’s not the right ladder, exchange it.
A new Ladder Exchange initiative will be running from Autumn
For more information on ladder safty or Ladder Training contact TB Davies directly
on tel:029 2132 0000
or via info@tbdavies.co.uk