Ladder inspection checklist

When a ladder is the right equipment

Ladders are not banned. HSE says so in the first line of its ladder guidance, and describes them as a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although not one that should automatically be your first choice.

The law is in Schedule 6 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. A ladder may be used for work at height only if a risk assessment has shown that more suitable equipment is not warranted, because the risk is low and either the job is of short duration or there are existing features on site that cannot be altered.

HSE adds two points of guidance. Short duration does not settle it on its own: you must have considered the risk first. And as a guide, if the task would mean staying up a leaning ladder or stepladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, HSE recommends using other equipment.

The person using the ladder has to be competent, or working under the supervision of someone who is. Our working at height toolbox talk covers safe use. This page is about the condition of the ladder itself.

What the law requires

Regulation 12 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 covers the inspection of work at height equipment, and ladders are among the equipment it applies to. Where equipment is exposed to conditions causing deterioration that could lead to a dangerous situation, the employer must have it inspected:

• at suitable intervals; and
• each time exceptional circumstances have occurred that could jeopardise its safety.

A ladder in regular use, carried on a van and stood on rough ground, is exposed to exactly that. The regulation defines an inspection as a visual or more rigorous inspection by a competent person, as appropriate for safety. The result must be recorded and kept until the next inspection is recorded.

Separately, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require all work equipment, ladders included, to be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.

The two kinds of ladder check

HSE's guidance splits ladder checks into two, and they differ in who does them and whether they are written down.

HSE's summary of what you should be able to say about any ladder in use is a good test. It has no visible defects and has had a pre-use check each working day. It has an up-to-date record of detailed visual inspections. It is suitable and strong enough for the job. And it has been maintained and stored as the manufacturer instructs.

How often to do the detailed inspection

The regulations say "suitable intervals" and give no figure. HSE's ladder guidance does not give one either. It says detailed inspections should be carried out regularly, at fixed intervals, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. So the first place to look is the label or leaflet that came with the ladder.

HSE's general guidance on inspecting work equipment gives the general condition of a ladder as an example of an examination carried out "every few months or longer". Within that, the interval should reflect how the ladder is used. One that goes out on a van every day and is used outdoors needs looking at more often than one kept in an office store cupboard.

Two cases have their own timing:

• After an exceptional event. If a ladder has been dropped, struck by a vehicle or otherwise damaged, inspect it before it is used again. Do not wait for the next date.
• Ladders that are part of a scaffold. HSE's guidance is that these still have to be inspected every seven days as part of the scaffold inspection.

Pre-use ladder checklist

This is the check for the person about to climb. It follows the list in HSE's guidance on checking a ladder before use. If any line is not true, do not use the ladder, and tell the person in charge of the work.

All ladders

• The stiles are straight, with no bends or damage
• Every foot is present and none is worn or damaged
• The feet are clean, so that the feet themselves and not mud, grit or stones meet the ground
• Every rung is present, straight, tight and not worn
• Any locking mechanism works properly and its parts are not bent, worn or damaged
• Locking bars are fully engaged
• The manufacturer's label and user instructions can be read

Stepladders

• The platform is not split or buckled
• The steps or treads are clean and not slippery
• The fixings on every step are tight
• The locking devices engage fully when the stepladder is open
• All four feet sit on the ground and the steps are level

Telescopic and combination ladders

• The mechanism that locks each section operates and holds
• The ladder opens and closes as the manufacturer's instructions describe
• The ladder is clean
• On a combination ladder, the locking mechanism is engaged for the way it is set up, and has been checked again after any change of setup

Detailed ladder inspection checklist

This is the recorded inspection. Lay the ladder flat on trestles or the floor so that you can look along it and see both sides. The defects HSE tells inspectors to look for are worn or damaged feet, twisted, bent or dented stiles, cracked, worn, bent or loose rungs, missing or damaged tie rods, and cracked welds, loose rivets or damaged stays. The list below covers those and adds further points on labels, extending parts, accessories and storage.

Identification and records

• The ladder carries its own number or tag and matches its entry in the register
• The manufacturer's label, load rating and pictograms are present and readable
• The ladder is the right type for the work it is used for, and strong enough for it
• No defect from the previous inspection is still outstanding

Stiles

• Both stiles are straight when sighted along their length, with no twist or bend
• There are no dents, cracks or splits
• There is no corrosion on metal stiles and no rot or splintering on timber ones
• Fibreglass stiles show no cracks, exposed fibres or surface breakdown

Rungs, steps and treads

• Every rung or tread is present
• None is cracked, bent or worn smooth
• None turns or moves in the stile when twisted by hand
• All are free of oil, grease, paint and mud

Feet

• All feet are fitted and secure
• The tread on each foot is not worn away
• No foot is split, hardened or damaged

Joints, fixings and stays

• Tie rods are all present and undamaged
• Welded joints show no cracks
• Rivets, bolts and screws are all present and tight
• Stays and restraint bars on stepladders are straight and lock fully open
• Stepladder hinges are secure and move freely

Locking and extending parts

• The locks that hold an extension ladder's sections engage fully and hold
• Guide brackets are in place and not bent
• Ropes and pulleys, where fitted, are sound and run freely
• The section locks on a telescopic ladder all operate and release as the manufacturer describes

Stepladder platform

• The platform is not split, cracked or buckled
• The platform sits flat and locks into place

Accessories and storage

• Stability devices, levellers and stand-offs are undamaged and have been checked as their manufacturer instructs
• The ladder is stored as the manufacturer instructs, where it will not be struck, bent or left in the weather
• The ladder is secured properly when carried on a vehicle

What to do when a ladder fails

HSE's instruction for the user is short: if you spot a defect, do not use the ladder, and tell the person in charge of the work. For the employer, the steps that follow are these.

1. Take it out of use at once. Remove it from the work area. A ladder left leaning in the corner with a known fault will be used again.
2. Tag it. A clear "do not use" label with the date.
3. Repair or scrap. Replace a part only where the manufacturer supplies it and says it can be replaced, such as a foot. For structural damage to a stile or rung, scrap the ladder and cut it up so it cannot be taken out of the skip and reused.
4. Record it. Note the defect, the date and what was done, against that ladder's number.
5. Ask how it happened. Bent stiles often come from how ladders are carried and stored. That is cheaper to fix than a run of new ladders.

What to record

The result of each detailed inspection must be recorded and kept until the next one is recorded. HSE points out that the records also give you a picture of the state of your ladders over time. Pre-use checks do not need a record.

The record only works if each ladder can be told apart, so give every ladder a number and mark it on the stile. Against that number keep the type and length, the date of each inspection, who did it, what was found, what was done and when the next inspection is due. A dated tag on the ladder showing the last inspection lets the user see at a glance that it is in date, and is the kind of physical evidence the regulations ask for when equipment leaves your business for use elsewhere.

Ladders are one item on a wider walk-round. Our workplace inspection checklist covers the rest, and the PUWER inspection checklist covers machines and other work equipment.

Keeping it in SafetyPro360

The detailed inspection checklist above can be set up in SafetyPro360 as a checklist of your own, with each line as a question. The person inspecting runs it on a phone beside the ladder. Each completed check is kept with its date, who did it and its score. SafetyPro360 does not schedule the inspection for you, so set your interval from the manufacturer's instructions and keep to it.

Questions people ask