Article 5 of 7. Securing your ladders before first use is a must for first time safety. It’s all too easy just to jump on to do the “2-second” job, but that is all it takes for a serious accident to happen. Checking and securing before use will eliminate the vast majority of accidents.
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Securing ladders and ladders used for access.
The options recommended by the HSE for securing ladders are as follows:
- Tie the ladder to a suitable point, making sure both stiles are tied.
- Where this is not practical, secure the ladder with an effective ladder stability device.
- If this is not possible, securely wedge the ladder. an example of this would be to wedge the stiles against a wall.
- If you cannot achieve any of these options, foot the ladder. Footing is the last resort and should only be considered using a suitably strong and experienced person.
Ladders used for access.
Adopt the following points when using ladders for access to another level or landing.
- Ladders used to access another level should be tied and extend at least 1 m above the landing point to provide a secure handhold.
- At ladder access points, a self-closing gate is recommended.
- Stepladders should not be used to access another level, unless they have been specifically designed for this purpose.
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Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/when-how-to-use-ladders-safely.htm