When this template fits
Suited to electricians, decorators, signage fitters and maintenance staff who use ladders and stepladders for short-duration, low-risk tasks. When a client or principal contractor questions why a ladder is being used instead of a tower or MEWP, this document records the justification and the three points of contact / footing controls. It is for light access work, not for jobs that should be on a platform.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 9 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Short-duration work from ladders and stepladders.
Sequence of works
- 1PLAN: Review the task and assess whether ladder use can be eliminated. Consider alternative equipment (podium steps, MEWP, extended-reach tools). Confirm work is genuinely short-duration and low-risk before selecting a ladder or stepladder.
- 2SURVEY: Inspect the work area for overhead electrical services, uneven or contaminated ground, moving plant, pedestrian routes and any other site-specific hazards. Obtain relevant service drawings if applicable.
- 3EQUIPMENT CHECK: Before use, carry out a pre-use visual inspection of the ladder or stepladder — check stiles, rungs, feet/caps, locking mechanisms and spreader bars. Remove any defective equipment from service immediately.
- 4EXCLUSION ZONE: Erect physical barriers and appropriate signage around the base of the work area to exclude unauthorised persons. Confirm a second operative is available to foot the ladder where tying is not possible.
- 5ERECT: Position the ladder on a firm, level, non-slip surface at 75° (1-in-4 rule). For stepladders, fully open and lock all spreader bars. Secure the top of a leaning ladder by tying or have a second operative foot it throughout use.
- 6ASCEND: Put on all required PPE. Ascend facing the ladder, maintaining three points of contact. Carry tools and materials in a tool belt, bag or use a gin wheel — never hold items in the hand while climbing.
- 7WORK: Maintain three points of contact or a firm grip on the stile while working. Keep belt buckle between the stiles — do not overreach. For stepladders, face the steps, do not work from the top two steps unless a safe top platform is provided.
- 8DESCEND: Descend facing the ladder, maintaining three points of contact. Lower tools or materials using a tool bag before descending where practical.
- 9CLEAR UP: Remove all tools and materials from the work area. Dismantle and store the ladder correctly, protecting it from damage. Remove exclusion zone barriers only once work is complete.
- 10REPORT: Report any near misses, ladder defects identified during use or changes to site conditions to the supervisor immediately. Update the inspection register as required.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Consider whether the task can be completed from ground level using tools with extended reaches, eliminating the need for a ladder entirely.
- › Where short-duration work cannot be eliminated, assess whether a low-level platform, podium steps or mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) provides a safer solution before selecting a ladder.
- › Erect ladders at 75° (1-in-4 rule). Secure the top against a solid surface by tying or, where tying is not possible, foot the ladder with a second operative throughout use.
- › Operatives must maintain three points of contact at all times when climbing or descending. Tools and materials must be carried in a tool belt or bag, not by hand.
Ladder overreach or overbalance
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Instruct operatives never to overreach. Belt buckle (navel) must remain between the stiles at all times. Ladder must be moved to a new position instead of stretching.
- › Include overreach as a specific risk in toolbox talks before ladder tasks commence, with a demonstration of safe reach limits.
Ladder or stepladder defect
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Operatives must inspect every ladder before each use, checking stiles, rungs, feet, locking mechanisms and spreader bars. Defective equipment must be taken out of service immediately and tagged.
- › Ladders and stepladders must be formally inspected at regular intervals by a competent person and results recorded. Frequency to be determined by risk assessment.
- › Defective ladders must be tagged 'Do Not Use', quarantined and either repaired by the manufacturer or destroyed to prevent inadvertent reuse.
Unstable or unsuitable base surface
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Assess and prepare the base surface before erecting a ladder. Remove debris, mud or ice. Use a proprietary ladder foot plate or spreader board on soft ground.
- › Ensure ladders are fitted with serviceable non-slip rubber feet appropriate to the surface type.
- › Where the base cannot be secured or tied, a second operative must foot the ladder throughout use, applying downward pressure on the lowest rung with both hands and one foot on each stile.
Stepladder instability
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all locking stays and spreader bars are fully extended and engaged before any operative mounts the stepladder. Never use a stepladder in the folded or partially open position.
- › Operatives must face the steps at all times. Side-on working on stepladders is not permitted as it introduces destabilising lateral forces.
- › Operatives must not stand on or above the second step from the top of a stepladder unless a specifically designed top platform is provided with a safe handhold.
Contact with overhead electrical services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Survey the work area for overhead power lines, buried cables at elevated levels and exposed electrical equipment. Obtain service drawings and exclusion zones from the network operator.
- › Where live overhead lines are present, agree exclusion distances with the network operator and erect physical barriers or goal posts to prevent ladder access within the hazard zone.
- › Where electrical contact risk cannot be eliminated, use fibreglass or timber ladders rather than aluminium or other conductive metal ladders.
Manual handling of ladders
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where strength-rated alternatives exist, choose the lightest ladder that meets the load classification for the task to reduce manual handling risk.
- › Extension ladders over approximately 5 m or heavy-duty rated ladders must be carried and erected by two operatives. Safe carry methods (shoulder carry, vertical carry) must be briefed.
- › Operatives must receive manual handling training covering correct carry posture, team lifts and route-planning to avoid obstacles before undertaking ladder handling tasks.
Falling objects striking persons below
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Erect physical barriers (e.g. Heras fencing, barriers and signage) to exclude unauthorised persons from the area directly below and around the ladder at all times.
- › All hand tools must be secured with appropriate tool lanyards rated for the tool weight, or carried in a securely fastened tool belt or bag. Loose items must not be placed on ladder rungs.
- › All persons working in or passing through the exclusion zone must wear a safety helmet as a last line of defence against struck-by injuries.
Fatigue and physical capability
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Operatives with known conditions affecting balance, grip or coordination (e.g. vertigo, epilepsy, certain medications) must be assessed by an occupational health professional before being assigned ladder work.
- › Avoid extended periods of continuous ladder use. Rotate tasks and schedule regular rest breaks, particularly in hot weather or during physically demanding activities.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › EN 131 Professional (Class 1) leaning ladder of correct length
- › EN 131 Professional stepladder with locking spreaders
- › Ladder stability device or stand-off (where the top cannot be tied)
- › Proprietary ladder ties / rope for securing at the stiles
- › Ladder feet / anti-slip mat for hard smooth floors
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That the ladder is justified as low-risk and short-duration, not used as a default for prolonged work
- ✓ That securing is specified — tied at the stiles or a stability device — not just 'footed by a colleague'
- ✓ That the ladders are EN 131 Professional class, not domestic or homemade
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to work from a ladder?
No. There is a persistent myth that ladders were banned, but the Work at Height Regulations 2005 expressly permit them. Schedule 6 allows ladders where a risk assessment shows the use of more suitable equipment is not justified because the work is low risk and short duration. The regulations set no time limit; HSE guidance (INDG455) treats roughly 30 minutes in one position as the working interpretation of short duration. The duty is to justify the ladder, not to avoid it altogether.
Does a ladder have to be tied, or can someone foot it?
Tying or otherwise securing the ladder is the preferred control because footing is unreliable above about three metres — a person at the base cannot stop a ladder slipping under load. You should secure a leaning ladder at the stiles near the top, or use a stability device or stand-off where there is nothing to tie to. Footing by a second person is only acceptable where securing is not reasonably practicable and the ladder is short. A RAMS that lists footing as the only control on a long ladder will be questioned.
What regulations apply to ladders & stepladders?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, HSE — Safe use of ladders and stepladders (construction) are the main ones, alongside Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.