How much do you know about ladders?
No, really, how much do you know about ladders?
I am thinking about the NEBOSH risk assessment question on the construction exam paper.
It is usually right near the end of the paper, the penultimate question most likely question 9 or 10, and is titled “Risk assessment.”
From the scenario given in your examination, NEBOSH will have identified a particular area of concern that the site manager has. This concern could be excavations, high reach demolition equipment, cofferdams, working at height, anything really that can give rise to a detailed risk assessment question. Be very careful when reading this question though. NEBOSH often restricts the scope of answers. For example, they may say “do NOT include hazards and controls related to confined spaces”. If you do include hazards and controls related to confined spaces, they gain no marks.
Considering a Scenario
Let’s consider a scenario that involves a wide use of ladders, for example, extension ladders, wooden ladders, step ladders, very long ladders, and damaged ladders. The scenario will describe situations where ladders are being used, for example:
Two contractors are using an extension ladder to gain access to the wall where they will drill two holes 9 metres above the ground level to fit security lighting. They have fully opened the ladder to its full length of 10 metres. They have the ladder lying on the ground placed where it will be used. The contractors stand either side of the ladder and begin to raise it in an arc, keeping the ladder’s feet on the floor.
When inspecting the property, the designer used a telescopic ladder and a ladder mat because the ground where the ladder will be sited is sloping.
A contractor is using a wooden ladder to reach the ceiling. You notice a missing tie rod and stains on the rungs.
When setting up a step ladder to access the ceiling void you make sure the retaining bars are fully engaged.
Now let’s say that the site manager is concerned about risks associated with working at height using a variety of ladders – this is where our risk assessment comes in.
The Parts of a Risk Assessment
The risk assessment is divided into 3 parts: Part A, B and C.
Part A covers specific hazards associated with the task, and the task is using a variety of ladders in a range of conditions. Part B covers existing control measures that are in place, and these will always be in the scenario. And Part C is additional control measures. This part on its own is worth 20 marks. That is a lot of marks to gain. So, back to my question, how much do you know about ladders?
My first example from the scenario is two contractors using an extension ladder. That all sounds very good, doesn’t it? But have they done anything wrong? Have they done anything right?
If we look in the RRC study material, Element 7.2 there is general information on the use of ladders. If you use that study material AND apply it to the scenario you will gain marks. You could say that ladders should be used for low-risk activities. But (there’s always a ‘BUT’) which column (A, B, or C) should this answer go in?
Column A is for hazards – we are suggesting a control measure – so it’s not column A. The scenario says, ‘two contractors are using an extension ladder’ (for the task described – they are drilling holes in a wall AND the ground is sloping (from another part of the scenario) AND the vertical distance is big (it’s a 10-metre ladder and the holes are 9 metres from the ground level). All this means it’s not a low-risk activity.
Let’s just review where we are with our answer:
| Specific hazards (10) | Existing control measures (10) | (c ) Additional control measures (20) |
| Vertical distance | Only use ladders for low-risk tasks. | |
| Sloping ground |
Do you see I have three potential answers? Notice I have NOT repeated the additional control measure for sloping ground (only use ladders for low-risk tasks), this is because you are told NOT to duplicate your additional control measures (you only get the mark once!).
Therefore, what additional control measures could they use to make that operation safe? The contractors are using a 10 metre long (when fully extended) extension ladder.
Where would you obtain the answers to these questions? Most safety professionals will not know much more than the content of the RRC book (remember my question: how much do you know about ladders?). Your RRC material gives you 4 possible hazards to consider and 10 possible controls to consider (remember, these controls could be in column ‘b’ or column ‘c’). The RRC material also provides a table on how much the extension ladder should overlap.
Search for Associations
So, I thought I would search for associations (an organisation representing a trade body) related to ladders. I found the Ladder Association website. A search on their website found guidance documents on a code of practice on the use of ladders.
Reading the CoP led me to a section where there was a picture of an extension ladder being put into position. The CoP says that if two people are raising the ladder, position the base of the ladder at the spot where it will stand. This sounds like our scenario. This is, therefore, an example of an existing control measure.
The second person should raise the top end of the ladder above their head, and they should face the base of the ladder and slowly raise the ladder up above their head by holding onto the rungs. The person at the base of the ladder can assist by placing one foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, to keep it stable.
None of this is mentioned in the scenario. In fact, they say they are extending the ladder by standing on each side of it. So, there are marks we can gain just by using that additional information. No mention is made of the overlap either. Let’s have a look at where we are at:
| Specific hazards (10) | Existing control measures (10) | (c ) Additional control measures (20) |
| Vertical distance | Two people raising an extension ladder. | Only use ladders for low-risk tasks. |
| Sloping ground | Extension ladder fully extended before raising. | Training to workers who use extension ladders. |
| Manual handling (raising an extension ladder incorrectly) | Extension ladder feet set near the wall where it will be raised. (It’s raised in an ‘arc’ following the CoP). | When erected, the extension ladder must overlap by at least 2.5 rungs. |
Applying the Knowledge
Now let’s apply our knowledge to the scenario: how did they get the ladder to its position? They must have carried it, right? The Ladder Association tells me that a ladder of this length (5 metres – remember it’s not extended yet) should be carried by two people and carried horizontally. How should they carry the ladder? Is it okay to put it over your shoulder? Or should two people carry it, one either end? Should it be carried horizontally?
Let’s check out what we have now:
| Specific hazards (10) | Existing control measures (10) | (c ) Additional control measures (20) |
| Vertical distance | Two people raising an extension ladder. | Only use ladders for low-risk tasks. |
| Sloping ground | Extension ladder fully extended before raising. | Training to workers who use extension ladders. |
| Manual handling (Raising an extension ladder incorrectly) (Carrying an extension ladder) | Extension ladder feet set near the wall where it will be raised. | |
| Two people to carry long extension ladders. | ||
| Extension ladders to be carried horizontally. | ||
| When erected, the extension ladder must overlap by at least 2.5 rungs. |
A key thing to notice is that a control measure, or a proposed control measure, does not have to be directly linked to a specific hazard. The hazards only need to be specified ONCE.
If I use another example from this scenario, it tells us that a designer is using a telescopic ladder and a ladder mat. So you must ask yourself:
“Why have they told me that it’s a particular type of ladder?”
What do you know about telescopic ladders? Where will you find out more information on telescopic ladders? (The Ladder Association? – Yes, you got it!)
In “Additional control measures” you could also say “avoid use of ladders, use a tower scaffold” or for indoor work, “use podium ladders”.
Ask Yourself Questions
So, to gain 20 marks on your ability to understand ladders is quite challenging but there are many guidance documents available that can give you everything you need to have the opportunity to score marks. Asking yourself questions is also a good way of exploring the options in each scenario:
- How should the ladder be stored when not in use?
- How should we prevent people from climbing when they are not authorised to do so?
- Should we leave it in place?
- How would we stop the ladder from slipping? If you are 9 metres up the ladder, drilling holes in the wall, as the scenario tells us, then it will be quite a problem if the ladder slips.
- Is it even the right working platform to perform that type of task on?
When you think about it, there is a lot you can talk about and questions you can ask in respect of ladders. Don’t get me started on wooden ladders with tie bars missing step ladders (another 9 controls given in the RRC material – which ones will apply to this scenario, I wonder?). If NEBOSH are prepared to give 20 marks for additional controls, then the good people at NEBOSH can probably think of more than 30 ways of improving safety in this scenario.
Kevin Coley MSc, BA(Hons), Dip Nebosh, Dip ENV Nebosh, CMIOSH
RRC Lead Tutor