Safety Training in the Workforce: Ladder Inspection

A staggering 81% of construction labour injuries and 20% of worker injuries are due to ladders. It is no wonder that there is a law that formal ladder inspection has to be done regularly to ensure that it is in working order and will not cause injury or fatality.

How often should ladder inspection occur?

Ladder inspection should be done according to the frequency that the ladder is used. Therefore, if a ladder is used daily, a formal inspection should be done once every three months. If the ladder is used weekly, the inspection should be done once every six months. Ladders that are used infrequently that is less than once a month, should have an inspection once a year at least.

Detailed inspections are the responsibility of the employer and have to be recorded. However, it is important for employees to learn basic safety training so as to minimise or eliminate the risk of accidents. Therefore, it is recommended that even with formal ladder inspections taking place, an employee should always check the ladder carefully before using it.

Ladder inspection checklist

When employers give safety training to their employees, they should put a special emphasis on ladder safety as it is the cause of so many accidents and fatalities. Keeping that in mind, here is a basic ladder inspection checklist that employees should go through before using a ladder:

Ø Visually evaluate ladder feet to ensure that the feet assembly and foot pads are present and in a safe and usable state. The foot pads should not be missing or damaged as that could cause a person to slip or lose their balance when using the ladder, which could lead to a fatal fall.

Ø The rails, rungs, lock (dawgs), rope and pulley assembly of extension ladders must be thoroughly checked to ensure all parts are working properly. None of these parts should be damaged, twisted, or missing.

Ø Ladder stiles should not be dented, twisted, or damaged.

Ø Tie rods should not be damaged or missing.

Ø The joints of the ladder that are welded together should not be damaged or cracked.

Ø There should be no loose rivets, locking braces, or spreaders.

Ø Labels should be readable and not painted over, making them illegible.

Ø A stepladder platform should not be buckled or split.

Ø The ladder steps should not have any slippery substances (such as grease), dirt, or mud on them.

Ø The fixings of the steps and locking mechanisms should not be loose, damaged, or worn.

A few more points to consider

It is crucial that employees should not attempt to repair damaged or defective ladders themselves. Wires, duct tape, electrical tape, screws, or bolts should not be used by employees in an attempt to repair the ladder. If an employee finds a problem with the ladder, they should remove it from service.

As the saying goes ‘a stitch in time saves nine’, and a thorough ladder inspection may prevent many unnecessary and otherwise, avoidable catastrophes.