Safe Use of Ladder

8/4/2019 Safe Use of Ladder

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Proposed Code of Practice for the Prevention of Falls in Housing Construction

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Safe use of ladders

Any ladder used at a workplace must be set up on a surface that is, so far as practicable,

solid, stable and secure. It must be set up so as to prevent it from slipping (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Some effective ways of securing a ladder

Except where a polestrap (or similar device designed to support the body) is used,

employers must make sure that any employee using a ladder does not:

face away from the ladder when going up or down, or when working from it stand on a rung closer than 900 mm to the top of a single or extension ladder or use any equipment or tool designed to be operated with two hands while standing

on a ladder, such as large impact drills, routers, circular saws, crowbars and axes.

Employers must also make sure that any employee using a ladder does not:

stand higher than the third tread below the top plate of any stepladder carry out hot work (such as arc welding or oxy-cutting) from a ladder carry out work from a ladder involving the use of personal protective equipment

which restricts vision.

Figure 5 illustrates some of the practices prohibited under the Regulations.

(a) Ladder set up incorrectly

Figure 5: Some prohibited practices


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(b) Performing hot work from ladder (c) Facing away from the ladder to descend;

over-reaching

(d) Standing on top plate of stepladder (e) Standing on a ladder while using a tool

designed to be operated with two hands

(no polestrap used)

(f) Ladder not being used for its intended purpose

Figure 5: Some prohibited practices


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Ladder Bracket Scaffolds

The Regulations do not permit the use of ladder bracket scaffolds where it is possible

to fall more than 2 metres from the work platform.

Ladder bracket scaffolds are only suited to light duty tasks, such as painting and sign-writing.

Trestle Ladder Scaffolds

Ladders must not be used as part of a scaffold for any other purpose besides access

and egress. However, trestle ladder scaffolds may be used at heights greater than 2

metres, if guardrailing is incorporated so as to prevent an employee or contractor from

falling off the open side or end of the work platform (see Figure 6). The system

(including planks) must be assembled according to the manufacturers specifications.It may include outriggers.

Trestle ladder scaffolds are only suited to light duty tasks, such as painting and

rendering.

When adjusting the height of a trestle scaffold, make sure that only the purpose

designed pins are used. Do not use nails or pieces of reinforcing bar.

Figure 6: Trestle ladder scaffold with guardrailing and outriggers

for extra stability

The maximum spacings of trestles should not exceed those set out in Table 2:


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Table 2: Maximum span of solid timber scaffold planks complying with AS 1577

(metal scaffold planks complying with this standard are marked with the maximum

span)

Nominal thickness of plank (mm) Maximum span between trestles (m)

32 (hardwood only)38

5063

1.01.5

2.02.5

Work should only be performed between the trestles. Where a trestle scaffold is more

than one bay in length, heavy loads (such as bricks, blocks or similar) should be

placed directly over the trestles.

Figure 7 provides examples of incorrectly used trestle ladder scaffolds.

Further guidance on trestle ladder scaffolds is provided in AS4576 Guidelines for

Scaffolding. A certificate of competency is not required for the erection of these types

of scaffolds.


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(a) Trestle scaffold set up on uneven,sloping ground with unsuitable soleplates

(b) Worker could fall over the perimeterguardrail

(c) Never piggy back trestles

(d) Worker could fall more than 2 metres

Figure 7: Examples of wrongly used trestle scaffolds


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5.6.2 Additional guidance

Ladders with any of the following faults should be replaced or repaired:

timber stiles warped, splintered, cracked or bruised metal stiles twisted, bent, kinked, crushed or with cracked welds or damaged feet rungs, steps, treads or top plates which are missing, worn, damaged or loose tie rods missing, broken or loose ropes, braces, or brackets which are missing, broken or worn timber members which are covered with opaque paint or other treatment that

could disguise faults in the timber.

Do not:

handle or use ladders where it is possible for the worker or the ladder to makecontact with power lines11

use metal or reinforced metal ladders when working on live electrical installations set up the ladder in places, such as driveways and doorways, where a person or

vehicle could hit it. If necessary, erect a barrier or lock the door shut

use a stepladder near the edge of an open floor, penetration, or on scaffolding togain extra height

work over other people allow anyone else to be on the ladder at the same time over-reach (the workers belt buckle should be within the ladders stiles throughout

the work)

use a ladder in very windy or wet conditions.

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Under new rules endorsed by the Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector and WorkCover, where

work is to be undertaken off a ladder within a horizontal distance of 30 metres or a vertical distance of3 metres from power lines, the employer must, prior to commencing work, notify the relevant power

company and obtain its written permission to proceed.


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Figure 8(a): Good practice

Figure 8(b): Bad practice


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5.6.3 Duties of persons using ladders at a workplace

The Regulations also impose responsibilities on persons using ladders in the

workplace. Persons include:

self-employed people employees subcontractors and their employees.

Although the Regulations primarily focus on the duty of the employer to make sureladders are correctly selected, maintained and used, persons using ladders have a

number of matching duties.

Persons must not use a ladder for anything other than its intended purpose; use a

ladder bracket scaffold to perform any task involving a fall hazard; or use a scaffold

constructed from ladders (including a trestle ladder scaffold) to perform any tasksinvolving a fall hazard, unless guardrailing is used to prevent the person from falling

from any open side or end of the platform.

Except where a polestrap (or similar device designed to support the body) is used,persons using a ladder must not:

face away from the ladder when going up or down, or when working from it stand on a rung closer than 900 mm to the top of a single or extension ladder or use any equipment or tool designed to be operated with two hands while standing

on a ladder, such as large impact drills, routers, circular saws, crowbars and axes.

In addition, persons using a ladder must not:

stand higher than the third tread below the top plate of any stepladder carry out hot work (such as arc welding or oxy-cutting) from a ladder carry out work from a ladder involving the use of personal protective equipment

which restricts vision.

5.7 Administrative controls

An administrative control is a system of work or safe work method that helps to

reduce a workers exposure to a fall hazard. An example of this is a requirement that

sheet flooring be laid by pushing it out from the centre of the building structure, rather

than from the edge.

Administrative controls are often used to support other fall protection measures. For

example, Appendix 5 provides a sample work method for the safe erection anddismantlement of a scaffold system. Administrative controls may also be used to


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limit the time workers are exposed to a fall hazard and/or the number of workers

involved in the task.

If an administrative control is used as the onlymeans of reducing the risk associated

with a particular task, the employer is required to record the details of the task to be

performed. The record must:

state the location(s) of the work site(s) where the task will be performed describe the work area(s) in which the task is to be carried out provide details of the administrative control(s) put in place.Section 6 of this code sets out a number of work methods for common building tasks.

Some of these methods rely solely on administrative controls and must therefore bedocumented. If one or more of these methods is used, it would be a good idea to

make written reference to the relevant guidance in Section 6.

If a task is routinely carried out by employees and sub-contractors, it may be

appropriate to record a standard safe work procedure for the task.

Records must be kept until the work covered by the administrative control has been

completed.

It is wise to involve contractors and employees in the development of administrativecontrols. People who perform a task regularly often have a good understanding of the

risks involved.

Safe Use of Ladder

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