Safe Operating Proceedures
The right steps to ladder safety
Job safety Analysis.
Perform a job safety analysis to determine the risks, equipment, tools, labour and time required for the job. It is extremely important to determine all risks and potential hazards. Ladders should only be used to gain access to an area to carry out light duty work of a short duration. Allweld Folding Platform Ladders are designed for heavier duty work for longer work duration. Safety gates can also be fitted to the platform ladder to fully encompass the operator giving an even higher degree of safety. When positioning your ladder ensure it can not be bumped by people, animals or machines. Consider fencing/bunting off your ladder and the use of warning signs. Never position a ladder within the arc of a door. If work must be performed near a door ensure the door is either locked open or locked closed. If this is not possible station a second person to stand guard to prevent the ladder being bumped by an unexpected person entering from the door opening. Refer SOP's at the bottom of this page.
Ladder Selection.
It is extremely important to select the correct ladder for the job. Use an industrial load rated ladder and preferably one that is load rated to 150kg. Ensure your ladder is high enough for the task, remember to never stand on the top two steps. A platform ladder provides a safer work area than a dual purpose or single sided ladder.
Safe Operating Proceedures (SOP).
An SOP should be developed for the use of your ladders and staff must be trained in accordance with this SOP. Generic SOP's are provided for downloading at the bottom of this page however these are by no means an exhaustive list. Each and every workplace must determine their own site specific SOP's and incorporate them into their Occupational Health, Welfare and Safety Manuals. A list of relevant acts, codes, guidelines and government agencies is included at the bottom of this page to assist with the compilation of your own SOP.
Maintenance.
Allweld Industrial Ladders require very little maintenance as they are fabricated from high grade 6060-T5 aluminium and welded in accordance with AS 1665:2004 welding of aluminium structures. However regular inspection must be performed to check for damage, worn or missing parts. Another inspection should be performed prior to each use. Ensure damage has not been sustained with misuse by a previous user. Carefully check for bent tubes, cracked welds, missing or worn parts and rectify before use.
Relevant Acts & Regulations
AS/NZS 1892.1:1996 Portable ladders part 1: Metal
AS/NZS 1892.5:2000 Portable Ladders. Selection, safe use and care
Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004
Occupational Health & Safety (Prevention of Falls) Regulations 2003
Occupational Health & Safety (Plant) Regulations 1995
There are also various codes of practice, guidelines and booklets available from the following state government departments:-
WorkSafe Victoria
Safework SA
Worksafe Western Australia
ACT Workcover
Workplace Health & Safety Queensland
Workcover NSW
Workplace Standards Tasmania
NT Worksafe
