Understand the Ladders and Working At Height Regulations

Posted on 16th Jul, 2012 | By Lorretta Tatham

It is important to understand the reasons for Working At Height Regulations when using ladders.

Working At Height Regulations, which came into force in 2005, presents a clear message – if you must use a ladder, use the right ladder for the job safely.

Produced by the Ladder Association, the Working At Height Regulations document was designed to help people understand how the new law affects the use of ladders, – in a collaborative effort between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the British Standards Institution (BSI).

There are a few legal documents which aim to control the use of portable ladders in UK industry including:

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998

Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (CHSWR)

Manual Handling Regulations 1992

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations 1992

Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

The objective of the Working At Height Regulations legislation is to stop people working at height where possible.

All workers and employers using ladders or working platforms, the regulations say, must ensure the correct equipment is selected appropriately and is used in the safest way possible.

Although requirements contained in the new legislation already featured in existing legislation specific to the construction industry, it applies to all sectors of the economy. The legal obligations are on employers, the self-employed and employees.

Employers and self-employed are particularly responsible for eliminating or minimising risks from work at height as well as planning work at height and selecting suitable equipment to perform work at height.

For more information on working at height training.

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