The use and management of ladders in the workplace has been affected by a raft of legislation over the past years. The key requirements that have emerged from this are that ladders should:
Be assigned a unique identification mark or tag
That these are then recorded in an asset register
Be easily identified as being 'safe' or 'unsafe' to use
Be checked daily for damage or wear and tear
Be inspected by a competent person at suitable intervals determined by the type of ladder and use
Have stored records of inspection, repair & maintenance
Click this link for more information
Safety Seal Do not use Tag
Safety at Work
Three men were jolted with powerful electrical volts when they lost control of an aluminum ladder, they were using to restore a roof on a commercial building. The ladder fell backwards onto a high power electrical line about 15feet away. The Fire Chief said these men were not amateurs. They had been doing this type of work for a long time. “It becomes second nature to move the ladder around”. Sometimes you don’t think about the wires overhead. The accident could have been prevented, this is a classical example of what can go wrong, when one doesn’t take adequate precautions.
“They should have called the power company. The power company comes out and put shielding on the wires just in case something like this happens.”
