Working at height always comes with risks, whether you’re using scaffolding, ladders or work platforms.

Today, we’ve got 8 tips to help minimise your risk and maximise your safety when you need to make use of an elevated work platform.

Pictured: Krause 5 Way Ladder Platform

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Here at Ladders UK Direct, we want you to be as safe as possible when you’re working at height. Falling off a ladder can cause injuries or even death, so here’s some expert advice to help you stay safe when using your ladder.

NOTE: The advice below is primarily focused on the safe use of leaning ladders. If you’re using a step ladder, see How to Use a Step Ladder Safely.

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When you're using a ladder, safety should be your top priority at all times - including when you're climbing down the ladder.

Falls from ladders are a common cause of injury both at home and in the workplace, so don't allow yourself to become complacent. You may have finished changing that light bulb (or whatever it was you needed the ladder for) but until both of your feet are firmly on the ground, there's still a chance that you could fall and hurt yourself.

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Working at height is a hazardous business - obviously. You don't need us to tell you to be careful when you're standing at the the top of a 20ft ladder or on the roof of a multi-storey building. You know, instinctively, the danger such a situation poses.

What you might not realise is how broad the definition of 'working at height' actually is. You don't have to be all that far off the ground to be at risk - guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that 'work at height' means "work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury".

Even a short drop can result in serious injuries, so before you - or your employees - enter any situation where work at height is necessary, it's important to 1) think about what could go wrong, and 2) take steps to minimise working at height risks.

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When using a ladder to work at height, you must undertake safety inspections before the work can begin.

These safety inspections absolutely must include assessments of the working environment. If you don’t sweep it for hazards, you could end up in very unpleasant situations should an accident occur.

Don’t just take our word for it. Recently in the state of Utah, US, a man fell eight feet from a ladder and was impaled in the back by a metal spike. Ouch! (At the time of writing he is in a stable condition.)

Here in the UK, 40 fatal injuries occurred over 2022-23 as a result of falls from height. This makes it very clear that ladder safety to take seriously!

READ MORE: How Many People Fall Off Ladders Each Year?

No matter how thoroughly you prepare against them, accidents do still happen, so it’s always worth making sure your working environment is as free as possible from hazards. That way, should you or an employee fall from a ladder, there won’t be any collisions with anything harmful.

Potential hazards include:

• Overhead cables
• Objects on the ground like sharp poles, barrels, crates
• Any detritus that may get blown into the ladder during a strong wind
• Other workers – you certainly don’t want to cause injury to anyone else if you fall from a ladder!
• Vehicles either parked nearby or driving past
• Pedestrians

If you have any further questions about ladder safety, or about any of our products, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll do our best to help you out.