The Ladder Association has launched this year’s annual ladder-replacement programme, after taking it over from the HSE.
The Ladder Exchange campaign enables anyone who buys, uses, or has responsibility for supervising the use of ladders to replace their poor-quality stock with brand new ladders, at a discounted price.
According to the Ladder Association, it is important to maintain ladders and stepladders in good working order by carrying out pre-use checks, detailed inspections and routine maintenance. Pre-use checks are intended to quickly establish whether a ladder is safe to use there and then, while detailed inspections, as required by the Work at Height Regulations, are more in-depth and need to be carried out by a competent person.
“Dodgy ladders are dangerous and need to be removed from service,” says Cameron Clow, chairman of the Ladder Association. “The Ladder Exchange provides the perfect incentive to do just that and replace them with safe, brand new ones, at a discounted price.
“Falls from height remain the most common cause of death and injury in the workplace, so this campaign has a particularly important role to play in helping reduce these consistently worrying statistics.”
Carrying the message, ‘Don’t let a dodgy ladder shatter your life’, the Ladder Exchange began as an HSE initiative in 2007 and, in the five years since, has helped remove more than 10,000 broken, bent and damaged ladders from the workplace.
This year’s Ladder Exchange is supported by a number of campaign partners across the UK, whose details can be found on the website. The site also contains a wealth of information about ladder safety, including free online videos.
Ladders can be replaced at any one of the Ladder Exchange’s official partners – see www.ladderexchange.org.uk for more details.
