Safe use of ladders and stepladders at work
Falls when working at height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality.
Ladders and stepladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.
To help you make sure you use the right type of ladder, and that you know how to use it safely, our website has guidance on safe use of ladders and stepladders at work. It includes:
- more detail on competency, and what that means for ladder users and those managing ladder use on site
- safety advice for using telescopic ladders
- practical tips for using combination and multi-purpose ladders
- good practice for securing ladders
You can also download the guidance document Safe use of ladders and stepladders, which was jointly produced by HSE and the Ladder Association.
For more information and advice visit our working at height website.
Steel company fined £100,000 after welder crushed
The worker suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries following the incident at a shipyard.
He was crushed between an excavation bucket and a fabrication table when a forklift truck began a lifting operation, unaware of the welder’s position behind it.
HSE’s investigation found that the steel company failed to:
- ensure that the lifting activity was properly planned by a competent person, or carried out in a safe manner
- establish a safe system of work for this activity
Guidance on planning and organising lifting operations is available on HSE’s website.
Read more about the incident in our press release: Steel company fined £100,000 after welder crushed.
You can visit our news centre for more on recent enforcement cases.
Protect those working alone
Lone workers can be at greater risk of harm as they may not have anyone to help or support them if things go wrong.
Employers should provide training, supervision, monitoring and support for those working alone.
HSE’s leaflet Protecting lone workers: How to manage the risks of working alone is free to download. It is for anyone who employs lone workers, or engages them as contractors, including self-employed people or those who work alone.
The leaflet is supported by our lone working webpages which include guidance aimed at lone workers themselves.
We also have a lone workers video that explains the basic advice.
Reporting accidents and illness at work
Make sure you submit a Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) report for a workplace accident where necessary.
RIDDOR puts duties on employers, the self-employed and those in control of work premises to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences.
Our website has further information about RIDDOR, including:
