Ladders and stepladders are simple pieces of equipment, and that is exactly why they are so often used carelessly.

This module explains how to climb them, how to work from them, and what protective equipment you may need. Everything here should be part of your risk assessment, and explained to everyone who will use a ladder before the work starts.

If risk assessment feels unclear, you can go back to Module 3 at any time.

Overreaching to the side is one of the most common causes of falls from ladders. When you stretch out, your weight moves off centre, and the ladder can slide or tip.

Use the belt buckle rule. Keep your belt buckle, roughly your navel, within the two stiles, and keep both feet on the same rung or step throughout the task.

If you cannot reach, climb down and move the ladder. It takes less time than a fall.

When climbing and when working, keep three points of contact with the ladder at all times: two feet and one hand, or two hands and one foot.

Where both hands are briefly needed, you can keep three points of contact by leaning your body against the ladder and bracing with your knees. But there must be a handhold immediately before and immediately after.

If the task needs both hands for more than a moment, a ladder is the wrong equipment.

• Wear suitable safety footwear, with laces tied, and clean mud off your soles.
• Face the ladder when you climb up and when you come down. Never come down facing outwards.
• Climb steadily, one rung at a time. Rushing makes the ladder bounce and causes slips.
• Grip the rungs rather than the stiles.
• Keep your hands free. Carry small tools in a tool belt, not in your hand.
• Do not lean back away from the ladder.
• Watch your footing near the bottom.

• Only carry light tools and materials. Use a tool belt, so your hands are free.
• Anything heavy, bulky or awkward should be raised another way, such as a hoist, or the job done from a mobile elevating work platform.
• Do not use ladders outdoors in strong wind, or in heavy rain, snow or ice.
• Stay within the ladder’s maximum load, counting yourself, your clothing and everything you carry.

• Only one person should be on a ladder at a time.
• Do not stand on the top three rungs. The ladder must extend at least one metre, about three rungs, above where you are working.
• Never move a ladder, or extend it, while you are on it.
• Never stand a ladder on something that can move, such as a pallet, bricks, a forklift, a van roof, a tower scaffold or a mobile platform.
• Stay between the stiles, and face the ladder while you work.

In shops, stockrooms and warehouses, people often need to reach high shelves many times a day. Mobile warehouse steps are designed for this. They have wheels for moving between aisles, but the wheels retract or lock when someone stands on them, so the steps cannot roll. They usually have handrails and a small platform at the top. Before use, check that the braking or locking system works, and that the handrails and treads are not damaged.

Never move the steps while anyone is standing on them, and never ride them along the aisle. Climb facing the steps, and carry only small, light items, so that you can keep a handhold. Heavy or bulky stock should be handled with lifting equipment, not carried up or down. Never climb the shelving or racking itself, and never stand on a lower shelf to reach a higher one. If the steps are not available, wait for them rather than improvising.

Ladder work needs good light. You must be able to see each rung or step, where the top of the ladder rests, the ground at the base, and any overhead hazards such as power lines. Many falls happen at dusk, early in the morning, in dim plant rooms and lofts, or when a light being changed is the only light in the room. Plan the work for daylight hours where you can.

Where artificial light is needed, position work lights so that they light the ladder and the task without shining into the user's eyes or casting deep shadows over the rungs. Route any cables so that they do not cross the base of the ladder or create a trip hazard. A head torch can help in a confined space, but it is not a substitute for proper lighting. If you cannot see clearly enough to climb and work safely, stop until the lighting is improved.

Contact with electricity is one of the most dangerous ladder hazards.

• Before setting up, look up for overhead power lines. Keep well away from them. As a guide, keep at least six metres away horizontally, and ten metres from lines of 110 kilovolts or more, unless the line has been made dead or ESB Networks has agreed safe arrangements.
• Carry ladders horizontally near overhead lines, never upright.
• For electrical work, use a ladder that does not conduct electricity, such as fibreglass.
• Do not work on live equipment from a metal ladder.

An extension ladder brings two extra things to get right: the overlap and the locks.

• The sections must overlap by at least the amount the manufacturer specifies.
• Raise and lower the sections while standing on the ground, never from the ladder.
• Check the hooks or locks are fully engaged before anyone climbs.
• The one metre rule above the working position applies, just as for any other ladder.

• Face the work. This is the most stable way to work from a stepladder.
• Do not stand on the top two steps, including the platform, unless there is a suitable handhold.
• Keep all four feet on the ground, and the locking devices engaged.
• Carry only light tools and materials.
• Keep three points of contact in the working position.
• If you have to stretch, come down and move the steps.
• Do not use stepladders outdoors in strong wind.

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is the last line of defence. It must be worn where the risk assessment says it is needed. For ladder work, this may include:

• A hard hat, with the chin strap fastened, against falling objects and head injury.
• Safety footwear with good grip and ankle support.
• A high-visibility vest or jacket.
• Gloves, for protection and a firmer grip.
• Safety glasses, where there is a risk to the eyes.

Look after your PPE, and report any damage.

Personal protective equipment only works if it is in good condition, so looking after it is part of using it. Clean mud or grease off your boots and gloves before it builds up, because a slippery sole or a greasy glove defeats the purpose of wearing them on a ladder. Keep each item doing the job it was designed for. A hard hat protects against falling objects, and worn with the chin strap fastened it also reduces the risk of a head injury if you fall.

Footwear should support the arch and the heel on a sole that grips. Anything damaged, such as a cracked hard hat or a split glove, is reported to your line manager, who will arrange a replacement. Do not carry on using it in the meantime.

• Is a ladder the right equipment for this short, low risk task?
• Has it passed your pre-use check?
• Is it on firm, level, clean ground, at 75 degrees, and secured?
• Does it extend one metre above where you will work or step off?
• Are you wearing suitable footwear, with your hands free?
• Can you keep three points of contact, and your belt buckle within the stiles?
• Are other people kept clear of the base?

Even with good planning, someone may fall. Before ladder work starts, everyone should know how to summon help, where the nearest first aider is, and how the emergency services would reach the site. Ladder work should not normally be done by someone working alone, out of sight and sound of others. Where lone working cannot be avoided, there must be a way to raise the alarm, such as a mobile phone with signal, and a check-in arrangement so that someone notices if the worker does not respond.

If someone does fall, make sure the area is safe, then call the emergency services straight away. Do not move a casualty who may have a head, neck or back injury, unless they are in immediate danger. Keep them still and warm, and stay with them until help arrives. Afterwards, the accident must be recorded and reported in line with the workplace procedure, and the equipment kept for investigation.

Supervision starts before anyone climbs. Confirm that the person understands the task, knows how to inspect and position the ladder, and can use it safely. Consider whether fatigue, illness, medication, unsuitable footwear or lack of experience could affect balance or judgement. Check that the ladder is appropriate, in good condition and set on suitable ground, with doors, pedestrians, vehicles and overhead hazards controlled. Agree where tools and materials will go so the user can keep a secure hold while climbing.

During the work, keep an eye on the set-up and the way the ladder is being used. Intervene promptly if someone climbs with both hands full, stands on a prohibited step, reaches too far, or uses a damaged ladder. Stop the work, then make the area safe and explain what needs to change. Conditions can shift: weather may worsen, a route may become busy, or the job may take longer than expected.

Reassess when that happens rather than assuming the original plan still applies. Encourage workers to report faults and stop if they feel unsafe. Good supervision supports safe choices; it does not replace suitable equipment or a sound work plan.