Safety ladders can provide a more secure means of reaching an elevated position, without the risks that are attached to a free-standing ladder; however, during construction projects, installations, maintenance work and cleaning tasks, it might be difficult to be certain of whether they are needed.
A suitable risk assessment can reveal the truth, and if the work can be carried out safely from an ordinary ladder, and will be completed quickly, that might be good enough.
But if the work will take an extended period of time, a safety ladder or even a scaffold platform might be needed to reduce the risk of a fall.
An example of this occurred in June 2013 when a 23-year-old worker fell four metres at a North Yorkshire school when the combination ladders he was standing on slipped.
HSE inspector Victoria Wise said: “There is a wide selection of work equipment available that is designed specially for work at height and there is no excuse for putting workers at unnecessary risk of serious injury, or even death.”
Safety ladders are a sensible addition in places where access is likely to be needed repeatedly in future, for maintenance or cleaning.
And where a permanent platform is built for safe access at height, safety barriers can add important edge protection, preventing the risk of a fall.