Hi All

For those of you who still contribute/use TSI you will have seen that i am taking part in a thread re the working at heights and use of ladders steps regs.
As most of the 'workforce' has migrated over here i thought i;d ask your opinion.comments.

basically what are the rules regarding use of ladders/steps
like

1) Can one person safely go up a pair of ladders to a bell or a camera etc (as in like what most service engineers do every day!!)?
2) Is the use of scaffold/lifters getting more prevalent?
3) do you need two people before you can use a ladder?
4) if your company does a risk analysis and says it is safe to use a ladder solo is that OK?

these and other similar questions i think will provide a few pages on this thread

discuss

Paul

AFAIAA brief trips up a ladder for a quick job (<20 minutes) are acceptable.


I'm certainly starting to use it\them more. There's a lot of jobs I go to I just refuse to do on ladders unless it's reasonably easy or safe. Anything remotely dodgy it's not worth the hassle.


Depends on what safety equipment you've got attached to the ladder.


Only if it's actually safe to do so. If it's unsafe to use a ladder but someone tells you it's OK to do so it's still unsafe, but it means your family should get a payout when you fall and die.

you starting to have doubts?



1) Can one person safely go up a pair of ladders to a bell or a camera etc (as in like what most service engineers do every day!!)?  

yes as long as secure at base

2) Is the use of scaffold/lifters getting more prevalent?  

yes for larger corperate sites

3) do you need two people before you can use a ladder?

no

4) if your company does a risk analysis and says it is safe to use a ladder solo is that OK?

 yes and risk assesment done at site every time then logged on customer sheet


thats how we do it


angus

I have supplied my engineers with a variety of ladder safety items... A ladder stop, a set of adjustable rubber blocks for slopes and devices for tying the ladder to the wall with a rawlbolt arrangement.

... but I would never ask them to take any risks. If it is unsafe... don't do it.

Just employ tall people, sorted

Paul This is all common sence and i agree with you. Just remember when someone falls its all your fault.
Jeff  

t's OK. I am used to that...... I am married remember. According to her, if I turn a tap on the water comes out upside down..

Disagree with point 4 there Angus
Company does a risk analysis and says it is safe to use a ladder.
If the person who did the analysis is a prat or as ulterior motives (saving money) or gets it plain wrong, this does not mean it is safe.
The Sainsbury job i mentioned in the TSI thread is an example. If the store was closed, stteps may be fine. But the idiot was using steps next to tables with people directly under him - and this guy was working live, as we found out when he shorted it all.
The risk to him was the fact that JP were walking about and next to him whilst up his unguarded steps.

Danger of falling electrician notice then?
Jeff

If the fall doesn't kill the idiot, strapped across live and earth may well do.

clear  that up i meant the person on site doing the work does his own risk assesment - often without realising he is doing one and i log them as well to be sure

I have refused to work on ladders on certain sites without a 2nd person to foot and make clear the work area.
Its pissed off boss, but hey i`m still alive!

cheers

Good attitude. I would never ask my lads to do a job i wouldnt do myself, as to the risk. Its all risk you just keep measuring it to your own capabilaties Old Hand, that way your sure to live a longer healthier life.

Jeff

TBH feck knows.... at the end of the day you will be on corpate site where they will poo there pants if you get a tripple ladder of the van

http://www.bsia.co.uk/web_images/publications/Form_193.pdf

there is a link in the doc, to full at height thing,

Had to laugh on a site with an extension in progress, on the existing site no ladders with express permission from H&S manager. Adjacent extension anything seemed to go because it wasn’t handed over yet. Health and safety amongst a large number of local builders seem non existent, we had one Muppet angle grinding out a section of asbestos the other week.