Safety ladders offer an important extra element of protection for people working at height, which could provide a useful backup for new employees who are still undergoing training.
This year, the Ladder Exchange initiative – which urges individuals who work at height and their employers to replace worn-out or broken ladders with new, safe ones – is running for four months, from the beginning of September until the end of the year.
With an extra month added to the schedule, compared with last year, the initiative’s organisers are focusing on four month-long topics – and in October, the importance of ladder training is on the top rung of the list.
“Just as important as having a decent ladder is knowing how to use it,” explains the Ladder Association.
“The number of falls from height shot up by 60% last year, and plenty of people fall off perfect ladders all the time – it doesn’t take a ladder idiot to do something dangerous.”
When new employees need to undergo ladder training, safety ladders can add some extra protection against falls, making it even more important to make sure any old, unsafe ladders are replaced.