If you are required to work at height as part of your job or in your spare time, there is a range of equipment that can be used to not only make the task more efficient but a whole lot safer.
From access towers to man cages and ladders, the options available to you all ensure that you're able to get whatever job you need doing done, in a safe and controlled manner but do you need training to use them?
In this blog, we focus on the safe use of ladders and whether or not you need to complete any sort of training programme in order to use them to complete work either in a commercial setting or a domestic one.
So, if you're wondering if you need training to use a ladder, read on to find out!
Ladder training
When it comes to using a ladder in a professional or domestic environment, it's very easy to assume that the way you are using it is the correct and proper way. However, there are many risk factors associated with ladders that can cause serious harm and injury if they're not noticed or checked beforehand, which can be assessed and avoided with the right training.
For any person using a ladder, especially those as part of their job, it is highly recommended that they undertake the Ladder Association's Accredited Ladder Training Scheme. The Ladder Association is recognised as one of the leading bodies in the ladder industry, providing a range of resources that includes training on the safe use of ladders.
The Accredited Ladder Training Scheme is made up of both practical and theoretical assignments that cover the main areas around the safe use of ladders, including how to erect them, store them, handle them as well as how to identify any potential dangers.
If within your job role, you find yourself responsible for a team of workers on site, The Ladder Association also provides a specific site inspector course that allows you to learn and understand when it is the right time to inspect a ladder and how to correct faults, if any are found, in the appropriate way.
For smaller-sized ladders such as step ladders and step stools, there is also a shorter training course that you can take that covers the issues of when it is and isn't suitable to use a step ladder or stool along with the best practices in terms of inspection, storage and handling.
Once you have completed any of these ladder training courses, you will be issued with a certificate as well as an accredited LadderCard which can be used to prove you are competent in the safe use of ladders for the next five years.
Is a ladder training course right for you?
So, you now know that to use a ladder within a professional setting, it is advised that you do undertake some sort of training to ensure you know how to use one properly but is a training course right for you?
In a previous blog below, we take an even deeper look at ladder training courses and explain whether or not undertaking one is right for you.
What Does a Ladder Safety Course Involve and Should I Do One? >
For more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Ladders UK Direct team - we'd be more than happy to answer any questions regarding ladder training that you may have.
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