When you buy or hire a ladder, wooden or metal, bear in mind that: Wooden ladders need special care however most modern ladders are now made of light weight aluminium. Wood Ladders should be made from straight-grained, knot-free timber.
Good-quality wooden ladders have hardwood rungs tenoned through the upright stiles and secured with wedges.
Wooden rungs with reinforcing metal rods stretched under them are safer than ones without. End caps or foot pads are an advantage to prevent the ladder from slipping on hard ground.
Versatility is a prime consideration. Choose a ladder that enables you to gain access to various parts of the building on which you want to work and which converts to a compact unit for storage.
The rungs of overlapping sections of an extension ladder should align or the gap between the rungs might be too small to secure a good foothold.
If you need a very long ladder choose an extension ladder with a rope, pulley and an automatic latch, which locks the extension to its rung.
Check that you can buy or hire a range of accessories to fit your make of ladder.
Choose a stepladder where you can get a platform for the top to take cans, parts, trays etc.
Treads should be comfortable to stand on. Stepladders with wide, flat treads are the best choice especially if you plan to paint from them as you could send a lot of time standing on these rungs.
Stepladders with extended stiles give you a handhold at the top of the steps.
Wooden stepladders often have a rope to stop the two halves sliding apart. A better solution used on most metal stepladders is a folding stay, which only locks in the open position.
Safety First
Check ladders regularly and before you use them after a winter’s break. Inspect a hired ladder before use. If wooden look for splits opening along the stiles, check that there are no missing, loose or broken rungs and that the joints are tight. Sight along the stiles to make sure they are aligned, or the ladder could rock when leant against a wall. On metal ladders check there are no cracks where there are joints, they are not loose and that there are no dents or kinks. Again sight along the stiles to make sure they are aligned, or the ladder could tip when leant against a wall.
Inspect wooden ladders for signs of woodworm or rot. Even a few holes or sponginess could signify serious damage below the surface. Test that the wood is sound before using the ladder and treat it with a woodworm fluid or preservative. If in doubt, scrap the ladder for safety’s sake.
Check that fixings for hinges and pulleys are secure and lubricate them. Inspect the pulley rope for fraying and renew if necessary.
Oil or varnish wooden ladders regularly to stop them drying out. Apply extra coats to the rungs (which take most wear). Don’t paint a ladder as this may hide serious defects.
How to Handle a Ladder
Ladders can be heavy and unwieldy; handle them properly so you don’t damage property or injure yourself. Carry a ladder upright, not slung across your shoulder. Do not put limbs through the ladder to carry it, if you trip whilst carrying it this is a quick way to cause some serious personal damage.
To lift a ladder hold the ladder vertically, bend your knees slightly then rock the ladder back against your shoulder. Grip one rung lower down while you support the ladder at head height with your other hand, then straighten your knees.
To erect a ladder, lay it on the ground with its feet against the wall. Gradually raise it to vertical as you walk towards the wall. Pull the feet out from the wall so that the ladder is resting at an angle of about 70 degrees – if the ladder extends to 8m (26ft) for example, its feet should be 2m (6ft 6in), or one quarter of its height, from the wall.
Raise an extending ladder to the required height while holding it upright. If it is a heavy ladder, get someone to hold it while you operate the pulley if fitted. On three stage ladders erect the top stages first while you have the ladder in the up right position.
How To Use A Ladder Safely
More accidents are caused by using ladders unwisely than as a result of faulty equipment. Erect the ladder safely before you ascend and move it when the work is out of reach – never lean out to the side or you’ll overbalance. Follow these simple, common-sense rules to decrease the possibility of an accident:
Secure the ladder
The safest possible way to secure a ladder is at the top and the bottom every time. If the ground is soft, spread the load of the ladder by placing a wide board under the feet; screw a batten across the board to wedge the ladder in place. On hard ground such as concrete, make sure the ladder has anti-slip end caps and lay a sandbag (or a tough polythene bag filled with earth) at the base.
Secure the stiles near the base with rope tied to timber stakes driven into the ground at each side and just behind the ladder. When extending a ladder, the sections should overlap by at least one quarter of their length – but don’t lean the top against the gutters, soil pipes and drainpipes, and especially glass, as they may give way.
Anchor the ladder near the top by tying it to a stout timber rail, held across the inside of the window frame if possible. Make sure the rail extends about 300mm (1 ft) on each side of the window and pad the ends to protect the wall.
It’s a good idea to fix ring bolts at regular intervals into the masonry just below the fascia board: this is an excellent way to secure the top of a ladder as you have equally good anchor points wherever you position it. Alternatively, fix screw eyes to the masonry or a sound fascia board and attach the ladder to them.
Safety aloft
- Never climb higher than four rungs from the top of the ladder or you will not be able to balance properly and the handholds will be out of reach.
- Don’t lean sideways from a ladder.
- Keep both feet on a rung and your hips centred between the stiles.
- Avoid a slippery feet by placing a sack or old doormat at the foot of the ladder to dry your shoes/boots and wipe off any mud before you ascend.
- Unless the manufacturer states otherwise, do not use a ladder to form a horizontal walkway, even with a scaffold board lying on it.
- Stepladders are prone to topple sideways. Clamp a strut to the ladder on uneven floors .
