Ladder Association launches training initiative
- Details
With falls from height still one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries - accounting for 35 fatalities in 2017/2018, according to the organisation - and with businesses facing record fines for failing to keep workers safe, the campaign sets out to ensure that everyone using a ladder is fully trained and competent to do so.
Steve Booker, chair of the association’s training committee, comments: “Safety and competence in the workplace begins with thorough and consistent training. The saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is all too familiar where ladders are concerned. It’s an attitude that encourages a complacent, over-confident and potentially dangerous mentality.
“The Work at Height Regulations require that everyone involved in the work is competent, so successfully completing a Ladder Association training course – and getting a LadderCard – is one way of helping to demonstrate that competence.”
The association has created a free Ladder Safety Pack providing information on the recent changes to European ladder standard EN131. It details the correct way to use and inspect ladders and, most importantly, the route to obtaining a LadderCard through official Ladder Association training.
(Jim Evans)
