That’s an interesting question and one that has a different answer depending on what you mean when you ask it. You should inspect a ladder yourself before and after every use. This is true of all ladder types:
- Multi purpose ladders
- Extension ladders
- Combination ladders
- Stepladders
But also caged access ladders and companionway ladders that we install at Altus Safety – the focus of our post today. It’s good practice to check for signs of wear and tear before and after each use so you know the ladder is safe. Following a ladder inspection checklist can help you nail down the ladder inspection process for all workers, ensuring maximum safety.
You should also have your ladders inspected by a competent person every 12 months to compliance test them and conduct ladder safety inspections that ensure your ladders are safe for use. Ladder compliance testing just involves a series of manual checks and a detailed visual inspection to ensure the ladder is compliant with all of the latest ladder height safety regulations and British Standards.
We’ll take a look at all this and more below to help you get your head around it. Or you can call our team and discuss whether your ladders are due a compliance test and skip the read!
Ladder Inspection Requirements For Fixed Access Ladders
There are a range of requirements for inspecting fixed access roof ladders, some of which are simply best practices and others are legal requirements that can’t be missed, or else you could find yourself in legal trouble. Below we’ll cover all the different inspection requirements so you can ensure your ladders are as safe as possible. If you want someone on for effectively undertaking ladder inspections themselves, then they will require ladder inspection training so they can conduct ladder inspections in line with that expected by a health and safety officer or safety executive.
Pre-Use Ladder Inspection Checklist
Pre-use checks should involve a quick visual and physical inspection that checks for:
- Broken or missing ladder rungs
- Loose fixtures and fittings
- Signs of wear and tear
- Obvious corrosion
- Check that the hinging of the front to rear frame attachment is secure
- Cracks
- Dips
- Damage
- Check that any rung restraint devices are snug and fitted properly
If you find any signs of damage at all, then the ladder should be taken out of use. In terms of frequency, pre-use inspections should take place before the ladder is used every single time and must be carried out by a competent user who is aware of the things to look out for to ensure their own safety.
Worker training is vital here but there’s no need to record the inspection results – if a fault is found when you conduct inspections it should simply be reported and the ladder taken out of action until an inspection by a height safety expert can take place. This should be carried out by the ladder user.
Thorough Visual Inspection
Inspecting ladders in line with the health and safety executive guidelines involves formal visual inspections every 3 months by a trained inspector is good practice to ensure the ladder is fit for purpose. This is a more detailed inspection to note any small defects or potential problems for the future.
This inspection should take place every 3 months by a trained inspector and any findings should be noted in a written record which can be referred back to should your ladder need repairing or replacing.
Compliance Test
This is the most important one – it’s legally required and failure to complete a compliance test every 12 months can lead to legal difficulties, especially if a fall occurs. This has to be conducted by a trained professional/competent employee like our team at Altus Safety.
The compliance test will be a thorough inspection of the ladder, making sure that it still complies with the latest height safety regulations (Working at Height regulations 2005 & PUWER 1998).
Compliance tests will also ensure that the following British Standards are met:
- BS 4211:2005 and BS EN ISO 14122-4:2016 – for fixed access ladders
- BS EN 131 – for portable ladders
This must be recorded in a detailed report. The legally mandated frequency of 12 months is set to ensure maximum protection for workers on your site. By setting fixed intervals it encourages those responsibility for the safety of workers on their site to keep up with regular ladder inspections according to the law.
Post-Use Checks
Post-use checks also don’t need to be recorded but any faults should be reported. They involve the same quick visual and manual checks as pre-use checks and should be carried out by a competent user after the ladder is used every single time.
Post-Incident Checks
It’s important that an inspection follows any incident involving your ladders on site. If a fall takes place from your ladders, then you should review what happened, why, and try to prevent that from happening again.
A qualified inspector or competent person must inspect the ladder and record their findings and recommendations in an incident report which should identify the problem and record what ought to happen to ensure another accident doesn’t follow.
Suitability For Use
A ladder should always be inspected to determine if it’s appropriate to use based on the task at hand and the environmental conditions – including weather related issues.
This should be recorded in an initial risk assessment to determine whether the ladder is suitable for use.
How Often Should Ladders Be Inspected: How Altus Safety Can Help
To maximise safety at your site, ladders should be visually inspected before and after every use so any initial issues can be recorded and reported. It’s important that you make sure your workers are in the habit of making these visual checks.
But compliance tests must also take place every 12 months minimally and after every incident involving the ladder. At Altus Safety we can help you stay on top of your compliance tests with a dedicated account manager that will be in contact in plenty of time with a reminder for your next test. Work with our team today to ensure you meet all inspection requirements.