BEFORE YOU START

Not every job can be done with just a ladder – or by you on your own.

So always check:

Are you up to the job?

If you’re not completely certain that you can manage everything involved in doing the job properly, get professional help.

Is a ladder up to the job?

Think ahead to what you’ll have to do at every stage. If you’ll need to move around while you’re up there, or carry lots 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 1.1m above any step-off height.

 

 

All ladders should meet the required British or European standards.

New ladders are generally marked according to their safe working

load. This classification, however, can vary slightly in the values given and has caused 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 have 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):

• Class 1 (Industrial) Duty rating 130kg (20 stone) = Max vertical static load 175kg

• Class 3 (Domestic) Duty rating 95kg (15 stone) = Max vertical static load 125kg

European Standard ladders to BS/EN 131 (all types): 

• (Previous Class 2) Duty rating 115kg (18 stone) = Max vertical static load 150kg.