The figure of 1817 compares with 2631 ladder-related injuries reported to HSE in 2001/02, a drop of 31 per cent.
According to the Ladder Association, no one single initiative is responsible, but rather a combination of initiatives driven by the association itself and in collaboration with other agencies, in particular HSE and the Access Industry Forum (AIF), of which it is a founder member.
"Whatever the sceptics may say, it cannot be denied that these welcome statistics coincide with a significant increase in the number of users successfully completing a Ladder Association training course," comments Chris Ball, chairman of the association. "Since the training scheme was first launched in November 2005, the year-on-year increase, after an initial exponential growth in the first few years, has been consistent at around 25 per cent for the last couple of years.
"We have constantly promoted the message that if it's right to use a ladder, use the right ladder and get trained to use it safely, and that message finally seems to be getting through, especially when it's supported by campaigns like Don't be a ladder lightweight aimed at experienced ladder users with a jaundiced view of training."
"We are also the first to acknowledge that HSE's Ladder Exchange has had a major impact in raising awareness and understanding of the need to inspect and maintain ladders and stepladders to keep them safe for use. Actively supported by the association since its launch in 2007, the campaign has helped remove thousands of 'dodgy' and damaged ladders from the workplace."
(Jim Evans)
