Safety
Safety
Health and Safety are paramount
Here at K and M Roofing we take Health and Safety seriously. Have a look and some of our safety topics below with tips included. You can be assured that our professionals always follow these guidelines
Ladders
Is a ladder up to the job?
Think ahead to what you will have to do at every stage. If you will need to move around while you are up there, or carry lots of materials, or use heavy equipment, a ladder may not be sufficient.
You might be better off using a mobile tower or scaffolding.
What to look for
Buying, hiring or borrowing - What to look for:
All ladders should meet the required British or European standards.
Is it strong enough?
New ladders are generally marked according to their safe working load. This classification however, can vary slightly in the values given, and has caused confusion. The variation is due to the different way in which the values for safe working loads are expressed. In the British Standard it is Duty rating and have been arrived at by taking into account the general conditions and probably frequency of use for each type. The European Standard uses Maximum static vertical load. To help clarify this, we have given both sets of figures. British Standard ladders to either BS 2037 (Aluminium) or BS 1129 (Wood).
Class 1
(Industrial) Duty rating 130kg (20 stone) = Maximum vertical static load 175kg.
Class 3
(Domestic) Duty rating 95kg (15 stone) = Maximum vertical static load 125kg.
European Standard ladders to BS/EN 131 (All types).
(Previous Class 2)
Duty rating 115kg (18stone) = Maximum vertical static load 150kg.
Is it long enough? The overall length of a ladder is not the same as its usable length: allow one metre of ladder length above the highest rung you use. Never stand on the top three rungs.
Is it safe enough?
Run this quick check on any ladder you are thinking of buying, hiring or using.
- General condition sound (clean & dry, free from wet paint, oil, mud etc)
- No cracks
- No rungs missing or loose
- Not painted
Ladders should never be painted, as this could hide dangerous defects from view. A wooden ladder can be protected with clear varnish or transparent rot-proofer.
- No stiles damaged or bent
- Stiles are the outside uprights on a ladder.
- No warping or splitting (wood)
- No corrosion (metal)
- No sharp edges or dents (metal)
- No rungs bent (metal)
- Footpads OK
- Caps/rubber fittings OK
All metal ladders should have slip-resistant rubber or plastic feet.
Damaged ladders need professional repairing - or replacing.
Putting up ladders
Short ladders
Short ladders can be raised by one person.
Whenever you are carrying a ladder, keep the front end above head height. Turn carefully - it is not just in slapstick comedies that people get hit by swinging ladder ends!
- Place the base against a solid surface. 2. Lift the top of the ladder and 'walk down' it, rung by rung and hand by hand, moving in towards the base until the ladder is upright. 3. Rest the top of the ladder against the wall or other firm surface, then lift or slide the base out to its final position.
Ladders are designed so that their safest angle of use comes when every 1 measure out from the wall is matched by 4 measures up it.
Long ladders
Long ladders need two or more people to raise.
- Lay the ladder on the ground with the base at the spot where it is to stand. 2. Heaviest person: stand at the base and put a foot on the bottom rung. 3. Remaining person/s start to raise the ladder while heavy partner reaches forward from the base and grasps the stiles (take care not to pull or strain while a back is arched, as this can cause serious injury). 4. Once the ladder is upright, ease the top to rest against the wall or other firm surface.
Remember the rule 'ONE OUT FOR FOUR UP' (See Using ladders)
Extension ladders - push-up type
Extension ladders, Push-up type need two or more people for longer lengths.
A short extension (under 2 metres, or 6 ft) can be done after the ladder has been raised as for a short ladder, described above.
For a long extension of over 2 metres:
- Lay the ladder on the ground on the position to be used, then extend it to the required length.
- Raise the ladder as for a long ladder, described above.
If an extension ladder is extended, always do so before climbing it.
Work the safe way
DO
Place the base of the ladder on a firm, level, dry surface.
If there is a time when this is not possible - working on grass, for instance - tie the feet of the ladder to stakes in the ground to stop it slipping, and place a large flat wooden board underneath to help prevent it sinking.
DON'T
Put a ladder on top of boxes, bricks, barrels or any other unstable surface just to gain extra height.
DO
Position the ladder so that the base won't slip outwards. Leaning ladders are designed so that their safest angle of use comes when every 1 measure out from the wall is matched by 4 measures up it, (rungs are usually about a third of a metre apart, so it is easy enough to get the distances roughly right). Most new extension ladders now have a mark on the stiles to show the safest angle of leaning. Remember the rule: 'ONE OUT FOR FOUR UP'. The more the base is moved out from this position, the greater the risk that it will slip outwards suddenly and fall down without warning!
DO
Secure the bottom and the upper part of the ladder, by tying them (from stiles, not rungs) with ropes or straps onto a stable, fixed object. You can tie the base to stakes in the ground, or use fixed blocks or sandbags to help guard against the ladder slipping, or buy special stabilisers. A rope or strap tied from a stile onto a fixed object at about the height of the fifth rung from bottom will help to stop any further movement.
If it is impossible for some reason to secure the ladder, get another adult to 'foot' it (by standing with one foot on the bottom rung and holding a stile in each hand).
DO
Rest the top of the ladder against a solid surface, never against guttering, or other narrow or plastic features. Where a surface is too brittle or weak to support the top of the ladder, use a stay or a stand-off resting on a firm surface nearby. Bolt or clip this to the top of the ladder before putting up the ladder.
DO
Have at least three rungs extending beyond a roof's edge if you are using a ladder to get yourself up onto the roof.
DO
Make sure that longer extension ladders (over 18 rungs) have an overlap of at least three rungs. Shorter ones (up to 18 rungs) need a minimum overlap of two.
DO
Keep your body facing the ladder at all times, centred between the stiles.
DON'T
Reach too far forwards or sideways, or stand with one foot on the ladder and the other one on something else.
DO
Move the ladder to avoid overstretching, and re-secure it whenever necessary, however frustrating that might be!
DO
Try to keep both hands free to hold the ladder as much as possible while you are climbing or descending - if you need to carry any tools, use a shoulder bag, belt holster or belt hooks.
DON'T
Carry heavy items or long lengths of material up a ladder.
DO
Hold onto the ladder with one hand while you work. You can get special trays which fit between the stiles to take paint pots, tools etc.
DO
Wear strong, flat shoes or boots, with dry soles and a good grip.
DON'T
Wear sandals, slip-ons or have bare feet on a ladder.
DO
Make sure a door is locked, blocked or guarded by someone if you are up a ladder in front of it.
DON'T
Use a ladder in a strong wind.
DON'T
Use a ladder near any power lines.
DON'T
Be tempted to use a ladder if you are not fit enough, or suffer from giddiness or aren't confident with heights. (See 'Are you up to the job?' in Ladder Safety Introduction) DON'T
Allow any child under 16 to use a ladder.
Storing Ladders Safely
Safe Keeping
Always store ladders in a covered, ventilated area, protected from the weather and away from too much dampness or heat.
Ladders can fall if stored vertically, so take particular care. If possible, secure the top (with a bracket, for instance).
Never hang a ladder vertically from a rung.
Don't store a ladder in any place where a child might be tempted to climb it.
For storing horizontally, a rack or wall brackets are ideal. Keep wooden ladders clear of the ground to avoid contact with damp.
Hang aluminium ladders horizontally FROM a stile or rest ON stiles.
Wooden ladders must be raised off ground for storage.
Be Secure
For security reasons as well as good maintenance, don't store a ladder on view outdoors where it could be stolen or used in a break-in.