New Working at Height Regulations 2006
Whilst working at height three main issues must be addressed to comply with the new working at height Regulations, which come into force in April 2005 (UK) and January 2006 (Ire).
- Suitable Equipment is Used.
- Workers are trained to competently use the equipment & risk assessments are carried out.
- A system is in place for recording maintenance & Inspection of equipment.
Before you start:
Not every job can be done with just the ladder -or by you on your own. So always check:
Are you up to do the job?
If you're not completely certain that you can manage everything involved in doing the job properly, get professional help.
Is the ladder up to the job?
Think ahead to what you have to do at every stage. If you need to move around while you're up there, or carry a lot of materials, or use heavy equipment, a ladder may not be sufficient. You might be better off using a mobile tower or scaffolding. You must always be able to extend the ladder by at least 1.1 m above any step off height.
All ladders should meet the required British and European standards.
All ladders are generally marked according to the safe working load. This classification, however, can vary slightly in the values given, and can cause confusion. The variation is due to the different way in which the values for safe working are expressed. In the British standard it is “duty rating” and this has been arrived at by taking into account the general conditions and probable frequency of use for each type. The European standard uses maximum vertical static load. To help clarify this, we have given both sets of figures. British Standard ladders to either BS 2037 (aluminium) or BS 1129 (Wood) and EU Standard to EN131:
- Class 1 (Industrial) Building, Heavy Engineering
Duty rating 130 Kg (20 stone), Max Vertical Static load, 175Kg
- European standard BS/EN 131 (previously Class 2) Light Trade, Plumber, Electrician, Painters & Maintenance
Duty rating 115 Kg (18 stone), Max Vertical Static load 150 Kg
- Class 3 (Domestic)
Duty rating 95 Kg (15 stone), = Max Vertical Static load 125 Kg
Safety First (Sight Line)
Vertical Line on side of all ladders for correct positioning against wall etc. |
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