Help us to improve the website - give your feedback.

1. Overview

Ladders and stepladders are not banned under health and safety law.

The law calls for a sensible, proportionate approach to managing risk, and ladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.

There are simple, sensible precautions you should take to stay safe when using portable leaning ladders and stepladders in the workplace.

Make sure that you use the right type of ladder and that you know how to use it safely.

Link URLs in this page

  1. How and when to use a ladder at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/when-how-to-use-ladders-safely.htm
  2. How to check your ladder is safe before you use ithttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/how-to-check-ladder-is-safe-before-use.htm
  3. Types of ladder and using them safelyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/types-of-ladder.htm
  4. Where ladders should be usedhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/where-ladders-should-be-used.htm
  5. Securing ladders and ladders used for accesshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/securing-ladders-used-for-access.htm
  6. Inspecting the condition of laddershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/inspecting-condition-of-ladders.htm
  7. Product standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/product-standards.htm
  8. Next page How and when to use a ladder at work https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/when-how-to-use-ladders-safely.htm
  9. View a printable version of the whole guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ladders/print.htm
  10. Safe use of ladders and stepladders: A brief guide LA455https://ladderassociation.org.uk/la455/
  11. Working at height safely: A brief guide, Leaflet INDG401https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.htm
  12. Health and safety in roof work, Guidance HSG33https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm
  13. Work at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
  14. The Ladder Associationhttps://ladderassociation.org.uk/

Is this page useful?

Updated 2024-06-05