Safe use of ladders and stepladders
Ladders and stepladders are not banned under health and safety law. EN131 standard for portable steps and ladders.
The law calls for a sensible, proportionate approach to managing risk, and ladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.
There are simple, sensible precautions you should take to stay safe when using portable leaning ladders and stepladders in the workplace.
Make sure that you use the right type of ladder and that you know how to use it safely.
As a guide, if your task would require staying up a leaning ladder or stepladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, it is recommended you use alternative equipment.
You should only use ladders in situations where they can be used safely, eg where the ladder will be level and stable, and can be secured (where it is reasonably practicable to do so).
Know how to use a ladder safely
To use a ladder, you must be competent or, if you are being trained, you should be working under the supervision of a competent person.
Competence can be demonstrated through a combination of training, practical and theoretical knowledge, and experience.
Training should be appropriate for the task, and this includes knowing:
The check should include:
If you spot any of the above defects, do not use the ladder and tell the person in charge of the work.
Where ladders should be used
As a guide, only use a ladder:
For further information, consider sharing this brief guide with employees.
LA455-Safe-Use-of-Ladders-and-Stepladders-A-brief-guide.pdf (ladderassociation.org.uk)
Contact us if you have any questions.
Common Scaffolding Health and Safety Mistakes
Scaffolding can help to significantly reduce health and safety accidents, but it doesn’t eliminate them. Accidents can and still do happen on scaffolding. This often involves slips and trips in bad weather conditions, from spillages, or complacency, and commonly debris falling to the ground.
These accidents are mostly preventable with the correct health and safety measures in place. With that in mind here are 10 of the most common health and safety mistakes people make when using scaffolding.
It’s simple, but common sense should always be used when working on any scaffolding platform. This can include:
When working as part of a team on a scaffold there is often limited space. With other workers and equipment moving about the platform everyone must work effectively as a team to help reduce the risk of preventable accidents.
Scaffolding platforms don’t hold unlimited weight. It’s important to be sensible with the space and the number of materials loaded. This also helps to ensure that materials don’t fall over platforms onto people below. Depending on the type of scaffolding you have, your maximum load may be different. Speak to your scaffolding supplier to find out what the maximum load is.
The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) states that scaffolding should be inspected by a competent person
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says: “All scaffolding inspection must be carried out by a competent person whose combination of knowledge, training and experience is appropriate for the type and complexity of the scaffold. Competence may have been assessed under the CISRS or an individual may have received training in inspecting a specific type of system scaffold from a manufacturer/supplier. A non-scaffolder who has attended a scaffold inspection course, e.g., a site manager, could be deemed competent to inspect a basic scaffold structure.”
The HSE says that scaffolding bays should have adequate fall protection, preferably gates. Security gates are not a requirement but that does not mean they are not necessary. Access gates can help to prevent falls from people and/or equipment/material; they can also help to protect other people, including children, who might climb the scaffolding without authorisation.
One of the UK’s top rated and Kent’s #1 rated scaffolding companies – Blitz Scaffolding says: Not all scaffolding companies install security gates on scaffolding as standard, make sure that yours does.
Scaffolding netting is not a health and safety requirement; it’s an extra investment to a construction project, but it can provide numerable increased safety benefits to users and those around the structure.
Materials left on scaffolding overnight, or indeed during the day, (especially close to the edge), can be an understandable danger if it falls from wind, or otherwise. The material could also be forgotten about or missed and cause a slip hazard or be knocked below on-top of someone. Avoid wherever possible leaving material on-top of scaffolding bays.
It’s easy to become complacent when working on scaffolding. Workers can assume that the platform will help keep them safe, but this is not a guarantee. Accidents can and do happen on scaffolding, and this is especially true when workers are tired, low in morale and not thinking as clearly.
Most accidents on scaffolding sites are due to slips and trips, and naturally the risk of these increases with rain, snow, ice and the cold.
Slips and trips have been the predominant cause of injury for 16 years in a row; according to a National Access and Scaffolding Confederation report in 2021.
The HSE says: “Winds in excess of 23mph (Force 5), will affect the balance of a roof worker.”
Blitz Scaffolding has posted a helpful guide on wind and working on scaffolding.
Rain makes scaffolding platforms slippery, scaffolding unstable and make working conditions significantly tougher.
Compounded dirt, mud and rain for instance can create slippery conditions and at height a small slip can soon become a lot worse.
The best thing to do in adverse weather is to avoid using the scaffolding altogether. This isn’t always favourable, potentially delaying a project, but safety should always be a number one priority.
If scaffolding is used in adverse weather, always sweep away stagnant water, ice, snow and leaves before working.
Construction workers who aren’t trained for use with scaffolding are often unaware of the common dangers, how to use correct fall prevention and how to work safely. All people who work on scaffolding should be competent, and if being trained should be supervised by a competent person.
Like other professionals in the construction industry, knowing your job site and equipment is important to prevent problems and injuries. Those who are not trained for scaffolding often do not understand how fall protection works, their immediate surroundings, or common sounds of danger.
Failing to identify the potential hazards is an all-to-common mistake that builders make when using scaffolding in their construction projects. Issues such as potential inclement weather, and the effects of such, the adequacy of the scaffolding, and the equipment used, risks of electrocution, the risks of too many workers on the scaffolding at one time, too much equipment or materials.
Before the scaffolding is used, a risk assessment should be considered to help identify potential hazards. Ideally an assessment of the potential risks would also be considered before the erection of the scaffolding to ensure safe design.
Contact us for further information.
Guest post – Blitz Scaffolding
An essential Guide To Managing Wood Dust Inhalation
The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) are kicking off 2023 with a focus on air quality monitoring for woodworkers. This forms part of their ‘Breathe Freely’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of wood dust and reducing the number of workers with occupational lung disease.
They state that the biggest respiratory health risk for woodworkers and carpenters is inhalation of wood dust particles. However, other risks come in the form of solvents, paints and adhesives used to seal and finish wood projects. Inhaling toxins from these hazardous substances needs to be carefully managed. Meaning that this needs to be a high priority before workers end up with long-term respiratory health problems.
So what are the do’s and don’t for carpenters and woodworkers? Essentially, air quality monitoring should be undertaken as part of a company’s COSHH requirements. But do you know when this needs to be done? Furthermore, do you consider wood dust a health hazard or just ‘par for the course?’
Inhalation of wood dust particles is a health hazard that needs to be taken seriously. Wood dust can come from any of the following types of wood:
Whilst all wood dust is considered a hazard to health, hardwood dust is listed as a COSHH stage 1 carcinogenic. When inhaled, hardwood dust can lead to a rare form of nasal cancer. Importantly this means that it needs to be given the highest priority when health screening woodworkers.
All types of wood can produce dust that is harmful to health. However, many types of wood dust cause only minor irritation such as a runny nose and decreased lung function. We say ‘minor’, but over long periods of time, exposure to wood dust can cause or worsen symptoms of asthma. This can be a long-term and debilitating health condition that requires careful management as part of your overall health and safety policies.
Moreover, dust inhalation is just one of the concerns for woodworkers. Inhalation of substances like glue and paint can have the same reactions, and sometimes even cause dizziness and fainting. When you look at the facts, carpentry and other woodworking jobs can be seen as quite a high-risk career.
In short, no. As part of your health and safety requirements we should be working towards management, rather than elimination. However, according to the BOHS there are some things that we can do to minimise exposure to wood dust.
Even with these measures, wood dust still needs to be carefully controlled. There are various types of regulation compliance that you need to undertake in order to comply with your legal responsibilities.
LEV will help you to manage dust and fumes at the source. LEV systems, also known as extraction or fume control, can be used to control dust and fumes as a result of woodworking. Over time, the performance of these systems can decline due to wear and tear or blockage. Regular inspection and testing (roughly every 12-14 months) needs to be done to comply with COSHH. This is necessary to ensure the LEV systems are operating effectively and wood dust is kept controlled.
Employers are required by law to provide safe working environments and protect employee health, as outlined in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations and HSG258 Guide to LEV
The many benefits of improved air quality include:
And, when the quality of air in the workplace is unsatisfactory, workers can become ill. This can have a direct impact on your overall productivity, as well as setting you up for an impromptu visit from the HSE! Importantly, regular air quality monitoring will help you to identify how much wood dust is present in the air, including the total Inhalable Dust, and total Respirable Dust.
Respirable dust is made up of particles that can reach even the deep areas of the lungs and cause long-term damage. This makes air quality monitoring an essential step in your workplace compliance.
Wood dust doesn’t just affect those people directly working with wood. How many of your staff members need to cut through the workshop or factory to get to another department? Or how many members of your staff have a hybrid role that includes working in different places?
Decreasing exposure to wood dust should be looked at from a holistic perspective. This includes providing a safe working environment for all employees. In addition to our suggestions above, you should take into account how many of your workforce need extra monitoring or health surveillance. This is something that you can discuss with your health and safety officer, or if needed, someone at Safety First Group.
Contact us for any queries.
Guest blog Safety First Group Ltd
