RAMS for Ladders & Stepladders

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR 2005) govern all work at height in Great Britain. Under Regulation 6, ladders and stepladders are only permissible where a risk assessment — required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR 1999) Regulation 3 — demonstrates that use of other, safer equipment (a mobile tower, MEWP, or scaffold) is not reasonably practicable, and where the work is of short duration and low risk. A ladder is not automatically justified by convenience or cost. Your RAMS must demonstrate that this hierarchy decision has been made.

Key Hazards and Controls

**Eliminate and substitute first.** Before specifying a ladder, consider whether the task can be completed from ground level using extended tools, or whether a working platform, MEWP, or podium steps provides a more stable, collectively safer solution. If those options are reasonably practicable, a ladder is not appropriate.

**Engineering and collective controls.** Where a ladder is the justified choice, stability controls come before personal ones. The ladder must be secured at the top where possible — lashed to a fixed point. Where top securing is not possible, it must be footed by a second person holding the stiles (not the rungs) throughout the climb. A proprietary ladder standoff or stabiliser should be specified where the surface or access point requires it. Never rest a ladder against fragile surfaces such as guttering or glazing.

**Angle and positioning.** The correct angle is 75 degrees — a 1:4 ratio (one metre out for every four metres up). The stiles must extend at least 1 metre above the landing point if the ladder is used as a means of access to another level. The ladder must stand on firm, level ground; ground boards or an anti-slip foot device are required on soft or uneven surfaces.

**Class rating and pre-use inspection.** Ladders used on construction sites must meet EN 131 (industrial duty). Pre-use checks are a mandatory administrative control: check stiles for cracks or deformation, rungs for security and damage, feet for condition, and any locking mechanisms on combination ladders. Defective ladders must be withdrawn from service immediately and marked to prevent reuse.

**Working from the ladder.** Three points of contact must be maintained at all times. Operatives must not over-reach — the belt buckle stays within the stiles. Tools must be carried in a belt or holster; materials must not be carried up a ladder. Maximum working height from a stepladder should be assessed against the specific task; stepladders must be fully open and the spreader locked before any load is applied.

**PPE — last in the hierarchy.** Hard hat, safety footwear, and appropriate gloves are standard site PPE. A harness and lanyard are rarely appropriate on a ladder (they do not prevent a fall; they may make a fall more dangerous) and must not be specified as the primary control in place of securing or footing.

Common Failings

The most frequently cited shortfalls in ladder RAMS documents are: failing to justify the ladder against higher-order equipment; specifying a domestic or Class III ladder on a construction site; omitting the securing or footing arrangement; no reference to the pre-use inspection regime; and treating the ladder as a permanent working platform for tasks that extend beyond short-duration access.

What the Document Must Include

A compliant ladder RAMS should contain: a clear statement that the hierarchy of work at height has been applied and that alternatives are not reasonably practicable for this task; the specific ladder type and EN 131 class; the angle, securing, and footing method; the pre-use inspection checklist reference; operatives' training and competence confirmation; the maximum duration and nature of the task; environmental conditions under which use is prohibited (wind, ice, wet surfaces); and supervision arrangements. The document should be task-specific — a generic "ladders" RAMS that is not tied to the actual work provides no meaningful control.