Are ladders banned at work?

No. Ladders and stepladders can be used for low risk, short duration work where a safer method is not reasonably practicable. HSE's guide INDG455 sets out when a ladder is the right choice and how to use it.

How long can you work on a ladder?

HSE guidance says about 30 minutes in one position is a sensible limit. Longer tasks, or tasks that need both hands and force, should be done from a podium, a tower or a platform.

Do ladders need to be inspected?

Yes. A visual check before each use by the person using it, and a recorded inspection at intervals, for example every three to six months depending on use. Damaged ladders are taken out of use straight away.

Ladder risk assessment: completed example for ladders and stepladders

Why these controls

The first question is whether the job should be done from a ladder at all. HSE's guide says a ladder is for low risk, short duration work, up to about 30 minutes in one position. Anything longer, or anything that needs both hands and force, needs a podium, a tower or a platform.

Ladder condition is where most failures start. The controls are a look before every use, a tag or a bin for anything damaged, and a record so the company can show the checks happen.

Overhead power lines kill people carrying metal ladders in the open. The assessment records that ladders are carried horizontally by two people outdoors and that the route is checked for lines first.

Hazard descriptions and controls follow HSE guidance: HSE, Work at height; HSE INDG455, Safe use of ladders and stepladders; HSE INDG401, Working at height: a brief guide; HSE, Electrical safety at work; HSE INDG236, Maintaining portable electric equipment in low risk environments; HSE, Manual handling at work; HSE INDG143, Manual handling at work: a brief guide; HSE, Workplace health, safety and welfare; HSE, Lone working; HSE INDG73, Protecting lone workers. Checked 15 September 2026.

This document is a starting point. The employer must check it against the actual workplace, the product safety data sheet and current HSE guidance before relying on it. It is not an HSE approved document.

Risk assessment

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3

Assessment numberRA-007

Revision1

Date of assessment15 September 2026

Last reviewed15 September 2026

Next review15 September 2027

Company or site	Fenwick Property Maintenance Ltd
Activity	Working from ladders and stepladders
Location	Customers' premises, indoors and outdoors, varying every day
Assessor	Dan Fenwick
Reviewed by	Dan Fenwick
Approved by	—

1. The activity

What is done	Short maintenance tasks from leaning ladders and stepladders at customers' premises: changing light fittings and bulbs, clearing gutters, fixing signs, minor repairs to fascias and windows. Working height up to 6 metres from a leaning ladder, up to 2.5 metres from a stepladder.
Who does it, and who else could be affected	Four maintenance operatives, usually working in pairs. Customers' staff and the public below outdoor work. Employees, Members of the public, Visitors

2. Hazards at a glance

Hazard	Before controls	With controls
1. Working at height	High 15	Low 5
2. Electrical equipment and installations	Medium 10	Low 5
3. Manual handling of loads	Medium 9	Low 4
4. Storage and falling objects	Medium 9	Low 3
5. Lone working	Medium 10	Low 4

3. Hazards, who could be harmed and the controls in place

1. Working at height

What could happen	Falls from ladders, stepladders, platforms, roofs and mezzanines, and objects falling onto people below. Falls from height are the most common cause of death at work.
Who could be harmed	The operative on the ladder, and anyone below
Controls in place	Work at height is avoided where it can be, for example by using long handled tools or lowering the work The right equipment is chosen for the job: a podium or platform for longer work, a ladder or stepladder only for short, light tasks Ladders and stepladders are used only for light work of up to about 30 minutes, on firm level ground, with three points of contact and without overreaching Ladders and stepladders are checked before use and taken out of use if damaged, and the record of checks is kept Ladders are footed, tied or fitted with a stability device where they could slip The area below is kept clear or cordoned, and tools are carried in a belt or bag so nothing is dropped Staff who work at height have been trained and know when to stop and ask for a different method Fragile roofs and roof lights are identified and no one goes on them without a proper method and equipment Leaning ladders are set at 75 degrees, one out for four up, extend at least a metre above the landing point and are never used on a surface that could move Any job over 30 minutes in one place, or that needs both hands and force, is done from the podium step or the tower, which are on the van
Risk before controls	High, 15 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 5)
Risk with controls	Low, 5 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 5)

Follows HSE, Work at height; HSE INDG455, Safe use of ladders and stepladders; HSE INDG401, Working at height: a brief guide.

2. Electrical equipment and installations

What could happen	Electric shock and burns from damaged leads, plugs and equipment, faulty installations or water near electrics. Fire from overloaded sockets and faulty equipment.
Who could be harmed	Operatives carrying and positioning ladders outdoors near overhead lines, and working on light fittings
Controls in place	Staff look at plugs, leads and equipment before use and report anything damaged, which is then taken out of use Only a competent electrician does repairs or alterations; staff do not open equipment or replace fuses without training The route and the work area are checked for overhead lines before a ladder is raised outdoors; ladders are carried horizontally by two people Light fittings are isolated and proved dead before work starts; only the qualified electrician does electrical work
Risk before controls	Medium, 10 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 5)
Risk with controls	Low, 5 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 5)

Follows HSE, Electrical safety at work; HSE INDG236, Maintaining portable electric equipment in low risk environments.

3. Manual handling of loads

What could happen	Back injury, strains and hernias from lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling loads that are heavy, awkward, or handled often. Musculoskeletal injuries build up over time as well as happening in one lift.
Who could be harmed	Operatives loading, unloading and carrying ladders, which weigh up to 20 kg
Controls in place	Trolleys, sack trucks or other lifting aids are provided and used for heavy or repeated loads Heavy loads are split into smaller ones or lifted by two people Staff who lift regularly have been shown how to lift safely and how to assess a load before they pick it up Routes for carrying are short, clear and level, with doors held open where needed Ladders are loaded and unloaded from the van roof rack by two people using the roller
Risk before controls	Medium, 9 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 3)
Risk with controls	Low, 4 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 2)

Follows HSE, Manual handling at work; HSE INDG143, Manual handling at work: a brief guide.

4. Storage and falling objects

What could happen	Injuries from items falling off shelves and racking, overloaded or damaged racking collapsing, and stacked stock toppling.
Who could be harmed	Anyone below the work: tools, gutter debris, light fittings
Controls in place	Heavy items are stored low, light items high, and nothing overhangs the shelf edge Tools are carried in a belt and buckets are lowered on a line, not thrown or dropped The area below outdoor work is cordoned with cones and tape, and a second operative keeps people out of it
Risk before controls	Medium, 9 out of 25 (likelihood 3 × severity 3)
Risk with controls	Low, 3 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 3)

Follows HSE, Workplace health, safety and welfare.

5. Lone working

What could happen	Injury or illness with no one to help, and higher risk of violence, when staff work alone: out of hours cleaning, home visits, driving, opening and closing, working in a store room.
Who could be harmed	Operatives on jobs where only one person attends
Controls in place	Tasks with a higher risk, such as work at height or handling aggressive people, are not done alone Lone workers check in at agreed times, and someone knows where they are and what to do if they do not check in Lone workers carry a charged phone and know who to call, and a personal alarm or lone worker device is provided where the risk is higher No work from a leaning ladder is done alone; a lone operative is limited to stepladder work indoors
Risk before controls	Medium, 10 out of 25 (likelihood 2 × severity 5)
Risk with controls	Low, 4 out of 25 (likelihood 1 × severity 4)

Follows HSE, Lone working; HSE INDG73, Protecting lone workers.

4. Further action required

Electrical equipment and installations: Set up a schedule of inspection and testing for portable electrical equipment based on how it is used, and keep the record.Owner: ________. By ________
Electrical equipment and installations: Book an inspection of the fixed electrical installation by a competent electrician.Owner: ________. By ________
Electrical equipment and installations: Fit RCD protection for equipment used outdoors or near water.Owner: ________. By ________
Electrical equipment and installations: Remove daisy chained and overloaded extension leads and add sockets where they are needed.Owner: ________. By ________
Electrical equipment and installations: Move electrical equipment away from sinks and wet areas.Owner: ________. By ________
Manual handling of loads: Look at whether each regular lift can be avoided: deliveries to the point of use, smaller packs, or equipment moved by the supplier.Owner: ________. By ________
Manual handling of loads: Rearrange storage so heavy items sit between knee and shoulder height.Owner: ________. By ________
Manual handling of loads: Check who is doing the lifting and take heavy loads away from anyone with a health reason not to lift.Owner: ________. By ________
Storage and falling objects: Secure racking, display its load limits and set up damage reporting.Owner: ________. By ________
Storage and falling objects: Set up regular inspection of racking and shelving.Owner: ________. By ________
Storage and falling objects: Provide a step stool for high shelves and ban the use of chairs and boxes.Owner: ________. By ________
Storage and falling objects: Set rules for stacking height and stability.Owner: ________. By ________
Lone working: Train lone workers in the task, emergency procedures and first aid.Owner: ________. By ________
Lone working: Ask lone workers about any condition that could make working alone unsafe and adjust the work.Owner: ________. By ________
Lone working: Set the rule that lone workers do not challenge intruders and can secure the premises.Owner: ________. By ________
Buy a second podium step so both vans carry one and the choice between ladder and podium is never made on costOwner: Dan Fenwick. By 31 October 2026
Start the quarterly recorded ladder inspection and tag each ladderOwner: Dan Fenwick. By 30 September 2026

5. Notes

Ladder register is kept in the office with the inspection record. Class 1 or EN 131 professional ladders only. Customers are told when outdoor work will cordon an entrance.

Hazard descriptions and controls drawn from HSE guidance: HSE, Work at height; HSE INDG455, Safe use of ladders and stepladders; HSE INDG401, Working at height: a brief guide; HSE, Electrical safety at work; HSE INDG236, Maintaining portable electric equipment in low risk environments; HSE, Manual handling at work; HSE INDG143, Manual handling at work: a brief guide; HSE, Workplace health, safety and welfare; HSE, Lone working; HSE INDG73, Protecting lone workers. This assessment follows the five steps in HSE guidance on risk assessment. It is a starting point; the employer must review it against the actual workplace before relying on it. Review by the next review date, and sooner if the activity, the equipment or the people doing it change, or after an accident or near miss.

Ladder risk assessment

Why these controls

1. The activity

2. Hazards at a glance

3. Hazards, who could be harmed and the controls in place

4. Further action required

5. Notes

Hazards in this assessment

Common questions

Other completed examples

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