Lesson 3 – Control And Use Of Portable Ladders

CONTROL OF LADDERS:

The Engineering Department will be responsible for the control of portable ladders.
All portable ladders in use on the mine will be numbered and this number will be recorded in a register for the control of such ladder.
A competent person will inspect all portable ladders in use every 3 months – his/her findings will recorded in the register provided under (1.2) above.
All ladders must be numbered to provide effective identification.

Such competent person shall inspect for and record the following:

Should any of the above defects be observed, it should not only be recorded in the register but immediately be brought under the attention of the Supervisor concerned to take the necessary remedial action.

The following provisions shall apply to the use of all portable ladders:

Every ladder shall be –

of good construction, sound material and adequate strength and suited to the purpose for which it is used;
fitted with non-skid devices at the bottom extremities of the stiles or hooks or similar devices at the top extremities; or
so lashed, held or secured whilst in use as to ensure its stability under all conditions at all times.

No ladder shall be used which –

has rungs fastened to the stiles only by means of nails, screws, spikes or the like, and except in the case of welded construction, rungs shall always be let into the stiles;
has defective stiles or defective or missing rungs

Wooden ladders shall –

be constructed of straight grained wood, free from defects, with the grain running in the length of the stile and the rung;
not be painted or covered in any way unless it has been established by the user that there are not cracks or other inherent weaknesses; ladders may be oiled or covered with clear varnish or wood preservative.

SAFE USE OF LADDERS:

When work is executed from a ladder, special precautions shall be taken to prevent hand tools, receptacles and the like from falling. Hand tools shall always be kept in suitable sheaths or receptacles provided for that purpose, except when it is in actual use.
Except in the case of extension ladders and ladders which do not require to be leaned against an object for support, no ladder shall be used which is longer than 9m and no ladder shall have its reach extended by the tying together of two or more ladders.
Electrical shock can occur with metal or wet wooden ladders. Not only is the shock itself dangerous, but it can cause falls resulting in injury.