Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death in the UK, and ladders are involved in a significant share of these incidents.
Around 4,684 non-fatal falls from height were reported by employers under RIDDOR in 2024/25, and provisional figures for 2025/26 record 31 fatal fall-from-height incidents. In the food and drink sector specifically, ladders account for 40% of all working at height injuries, more than double the rate of any other single cause.
Employers have a legal duty under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 to ensure that any work carried out at height, including ladder use, is properly planned, supervised and carried out safely. Understanding these obligations, and when a ladder simply isn’t the right tool for the job, is essential for keeping teams safe and staying compliant.
What the Regulations Require
Under the Work at Height Regulations, employers must:
- Avoid work at height wherever it’s reasonably practicable to do so
- Use equipment or other measures to prevent falls where work at height cannot be avoided
- Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall where the risk cannot be eliminated entirely
- Ensure equipment is inspected regularly and used only by trained personnel
Ladders are only considered appropriate under these regulations for low-risk, short-duration tasks. For anything beyond that, a safer method of access is required.
When Is a Ladder an Appropriate Choice?
A ladder may be suitable when:
- The task will take no longer than around 30 minutes to complete
- The ground is solid, level and free from debris
- Three points of contact can be maintained throughout the task
- There’s no need to overreach to complete the work
- The ladder won’t be struck by moving vehicles, doors or windows
- The public cannot access the ladder while it’s in use
If any of these conditions can’t be met, a ladder is not considered an appropriate choice, and an alternative method of access should be used instead.
Ladder Safety Checklist
Before every use, ladders should be inspected for:
- Damaged, bent or worn stiles and rungs
- Secure, functioning locking mechanisms
- Stable, non-slip feet
- Intact stepladder platforms and treads
Any ladder showing signs of damage should be taken out of use immediately and reported to a supervisor or health and safety officer.
Choosing the Right Ladder Type
Leaning ladders: Suited to light tasks where the ladder can be secured against a stable surface, with three points of contact maintained and no need to work near power lines.
Telescopic ladders: Compact for storage, but care is needed when extending or collapsing the rungs to avoid trapped fingers, alongside the same ground and angle considerations as leaning ladders.
Stepladders: Appropriate for lower-height indoor tasks, provided all four points of contact are maintained and work doesn’t take place on the top three steps.
How Metreel Can Help with Compliant Working at Height Solutions
Where a ladder doesn’t meet the requirements of the Work at Height Regulations, Metreel supplies a range of equipment designed to keep teams safe and compliant at height:
- Fall arrest systems: Stop a fall from height and limit the distance and impact if one occurs
- Fall restraint equipment: Prevents a worker from reaching a position where a fall is possible in the first place
- Abseil access: Provides controlled, rope-based access for tasks in hard-to-reach areas
- Vertical access ladders: Fixed, permanent access solutions engineered for repeated safe use, unlike freestanding ladders
Each solution is specified around the task, the environment and the level of risk involved, helping employers move beyond general-purpose ladders to equipment that’s fit for purpose and compliant with current regulations.
Get Expert Advice on Working at Height
If your team’s current approach to working at height relies heavily on ladders, it may be worth reviewing whether a more suitable solution is available.
Get in touch on 0115 647 0422 or contact us here to discuss the right fall protection solution for your business.