Ladder inspections: The key to ladder safety and durability
Posted on 20th May, 2016 | By Lorretta Tatham
No matter how skilled you are in ladder use, a damaged, unsafe ladder can let you down. Even if you follow all the usual safety protocols, such as keeping three points of contact at all times, if your ladder fails, you too will be at risk. With this in mind, we wanted to reiterate the importance in scheduling regular ladder inspections. Keeping your kit safe and in full working order is as important as following all the usual health and safety rules yourself.
At Browns Ladders, we can do all the hard work for you. With our popular Ladder Inspection Services, we can carry out an expert check on all your products and spot any potential risks that you, the owner, may not have picked up on.
Over the years, we’ve worked with companies including Warbutons Bakeries, Heineken Brewery, and Dairy Crest, as well as local councils, schools and police – all of which have trusted us to look after their equipment.
While it’s important to inspect your ladder prior to every use, it’s also important to schedule more in-depth checks – especially if access equipment is used on a regular basis. Over time, wear and tear can occur and this can cause damage to a ladder that may not be noticed by a regular user.
What you can do yourself
Every time you use a ladder carry out a pre-use check, taking particular notice of the following:
- Cracks, holes, and general damage
- Bent or damaged rungs
- Stiff parts
- Broken safety mechanisms and defective locks
- Damaged or worn feet
- Loose nails, screws or bolts
- Corrosion, rust, or excessive wear – especially on treads
If you notice any of the above, do not use the ladder until it has been made safe. Damage should be reported to an employer and the ladder should be taken away until it’s back to full working order. Do not try to make temporary repairs or straighten bent and damaged rungs.
How Browns Ladders can help
At Browns Ladders, we can inspect a bulk load of your products for you while you get on with your day-to-day job. We’ll inspect ladders, step ladders, scaffold towers and more.
Our service also takes the hassle out of thorough in-house inspections. We can look at up to 50 items in one day and will even carry out repairs for you – getting your newly improved and repaired items back to you quickly. All you need to worry about it making your first appointment and we’ll do the rest.
We’ll even schedule future appointments for you, at a timeframe to suit you, and send a reminder approximately two weeks before your next inspection. We always recommend that ladder inspections take place every three – six months, depending on frequency of use.
On completion of our service, you’ll receive a report clearly showing the status of each item and what repairs took place, if any. This will help you keep on top of potential issues when carrying out future inspections in-house.
For more information on our Ladder Inspection Services, give the team a call today on 01282 615517.
