Using STEP To Improve Your Ladder Risk Assessments

There's a health and safety myth that ladders are banned. They're not, but the law does cover ladders, and it says that you must assess the work and determine that it's safe and suitable to use a ladder.

When you're risk assessing ladder use, you might be wondering what hazards you need to consider. Some are obvious, like is the ladder in good condition, and does the person know how to use it safely?

But there are quite a few extra things that could impact ladder safety, like where you put the ladder, what's going on around you, what task you need to do on the ladder, and even the weather.

The Ladder Association created the STEP methodology for planning work on ladders, as a reminder of what your risk assessment should consider.

When planning ahead, the Ladder Association recommends what it calls the ‘STEP Methodology’ as a vital part of working safely.

STEP means:

• Site
• Task
• Equipment
• People

And it's a pretty handy health and safety acronym - since you 'step' on a ladder, it should be easy to remember!

In this blog post, we will look at each of the four elements of the STEP methodology, site, task, equipment, and people, and see what hazards you should consider to improve your ladder risk assessments.

But first, here's a quick explainer video:

🚧 Site

Is the site safe for ladder use? Consider where you will place the ladder, and what's happening around you. Things outside your control, like the ground conditions, the location, the weather, and other people can put you in harm's way.

🥾 Surface

If the surface you place the ladder on (both the ground below the ladder and the top resting surface) is unstable, it could cause your ladder to slip or tip during use.

Ground hazards include:

• Slippery surfaces
• Wet surfaces
• Contamination
• Loose surfaces
• Uneven surfaces
• Weak surfaces
• Fragile surfaces

📍 Location

The location of your activity might be unsuitable for ladder use, for example, if there is not enough space for the ladder to be positioned correctly.

If where you need to place your ladder puts you at risk of contact with opening windows, doors, vehicles, equipment, or pedestrians, it's important to cordon off and secure the area before using a ladder.

Location hazards include:

• Overreaching
• Working sideways
• Restricted space
• Windows
• Doors
• Access routes

⛈️ Weather

Bad weather can affect ladder safety. Have you checked the forecast? Are storms, ice, snow, or winds expected? Will the weather make ladder use unsafe?

Weather hazards include:

• Wind
• Rain
• Storms
• Lightning
• Ice
• Snow

🔨 Task

Once you know the site is safe for ladder use, think about the task you will be doing. Is the task suitable for ladder use?

The task should be both low-risk and short-duration. Activities that need lots of equipment or materials, or excessive force, are unlikely to be safe from a ladder, no matter how short the task is.

Task considerations include:

• The work can be done safely from a ladder
• The ladder use will be under 30 minutes

Task hazards include:

• Task will make the ladder move
• Task will affect the stability of the ladder
• Task will need both hands
• Task will prevent the user from maintaining three points of contact with the ladder
• Task will create excessive loads on the ladder
• Task will create slippery surfaces or contaminate the ladder

🪜 Equipment

It might be possible to use a ladder, but is the best equipment for the job? When you're working at height, you need to follow the working-at-height hierarchy of control. Would alternative equipment like a working platform with edge protection be more suitable?

And if you do need to use a ladder, what type of ladder should you use? And how will you get it to the site? Do you need to use a non-conductive ladder? Will you need resting places?

Equipment considerations include:

• Classification
• Safe working load
• Material
• Transportation
• Storage

Equipment hazards include:

• Ladder that is damaged
• Defective ladder
• Ladder that is contaminated
• Ladder that is not suitable for professional use
• Ladder that is the wrong size for the task
• Ladder that is the wrong material for the task
• Ladder that hasn't been inspected

👤 People

Once you know that a ladder is safe to use for the task and the site, and you've picked the right ladder, it's time to look at the people who will use the ladder. This could be you, or a member of your team.

Your ladder risk assessment should consider the people involved in the task. Are the people using the ladder able to carry out the task safely?

People considerations include:

• Training
• Competence
• Number required
• PPE required
• Supervision

People hazards include:

• Not enough people to position the ladder
• Not enough people to secure the ladder
• No training in ladder safety
• Not aware of the ladder safety requirements
• Incorrect positioning of the ladder
• Not securing the ladder
• Lack of supervision
• Not physically able to do the task
• Not wearing suitable footwear
• Not wearing the required PPE for the task

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Now you know what hazards to look out for when using ladders, and how to follow the STEP method in your ladder risk assessment.

Learn more with our ladder safety awareness course.