Ladder and Step Ladder Use and Inspection Training

Ladder and Step Ladder Use and Inspection Training

Two legal duties. One course.

If your role includes, or could include, using ladders or step ladders, your employer has a legal duty to ensure you are trained in their safe use. Separately, if you or someone in your team needs to act as the “competent person” who carries out formal ladder inspections under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (Regulation 12), that is a distinct training requirement.

For many roles, particularly those where the same person both uses ladders regularly and is responsible for their upkeep, it makes sense to cover both in a single course. This combined course does exactly that. It covers safe use, safe technique, pre-use checks, formal inspection and report writing, all in one practical session.

As with all our ladder safety training, this course is hands-on and face to face. In our view, an online-only course is not sufficient for a subject where the skills being assessed are physical: setting up, ascending, descending and footing a ladder safely, and inspecting real equipment for real defects.

What You Will Learn

Safe use

• The legal framework, including the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and the hierarchy of control for working at height
• Selecting the right ladder or step ladder for the task, including types, ratings (EN 131-1 and EN 131-2), and safe working loads
• Safe set-up, including the 1:4 angle ratio, securing the top and foot, and footing on uneven ground
• The three-point contact rule and correct climbing technique
• Safe carrying, storage and stowage of ladders and steps

Formal inspection

• Inspection duties under PUWER 1998 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (Regulation 12)
• What to check: stiles, rungs, treads, feet, locking mechanisms and spreader bars
• Recognising damage, wear, corrosion and contamination
• Completing formal inspection reports and retaining records, including RIDDOR considerations
• Deciding when to remove equipment from service

Course Details

Certificate:

• Ladder & Steps User & Inspector Training
• You will receive an A4 sized PDF certificate issued by Chris Garland Training that is valid for 3 years.

Course duration:

• 6 hour course;
  • 5 guided learning hours.
  • 1 hours break through the day.

Time:

• Typically 09:00-15:00hrs.
• Please note the exact times for your course booking.

Test:

• You will undertake a practical ladder & steps safety training assessment (pre-use checks, set up, ascend, descend, footing). Candidates are required to score 100% to achieve a pass.
• You will also undertake inspections of several sets of ladders and steps. This is assessed by your instructor.

Pre-requisites:

• Candidates should be at least 16 years old to undertake this qualification.
• It is recommended that candidates have at least level 1 literacy (GCSE grade D) to undertake this training within the course duration.

Candidates:

• All courses have a minimum and maximum number of candidates that we can take on a course.
  • Minimum: We need a minimum of 4 candidates booked on an open/scheduled course for the course to run. Click here for more details. There is no minimum for a private course.
  • Maximum: We are limited by the Health & Safety Executive, and where applicable by the Awarding Organisation, to a maximum of 12 candidates per instructor. Should you have more than 12 candidates that need to be trained, please contact us to arrange a private course, where we can arrange for a second instructor/assessor to be present to comply with this restriction.

Geographical coverage:

• This Ladder and Step ladder User Safety Training course is available to candidates throughout the UK.
• The course can be delivered in other countries, however, candidates should be aware that the content was developed in accordance with current UK practice.

Venue:

• Scheduled courses run at our training centre in Knutsford, Cheshire.
• Why not arrange to have a private courses run at your workplace? Simply fill in our quote request form to request a quotation.

Ladder and Step ladder User Safety Training Joining instructions:

• All candidates are to bring their own:
  • clean hi-viz
  • hard hat (not bump cap)
  • work gloves
  • steel toe-capped safety footwear
• Visit this page to read the general course joining instructions.
• If your course is not being run at our main training centre, you’ll also receive an email with additional joining instructions including the venue address.

Already Trained in Use, Just Need Inspection (or the Other Way Round)?

If you have already completed user safety training and only need formal inspection competence, our standalone Ladder and Step Ladder Inspection Training course covers just that. Equally, if you only need user safety training without inspection, see our Ladder and Stepladder User Safety Training course. This combined course is for those who need, or whose role may come to need, both.