It's a sad fact that a lot of the accidental deaths in the workplace are directly linked to working at height. When working at height, it's absolutely vital that you have proper precautions in place to help prevent a slip or fall. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) have a lot of great information about working safely at height to show you how it's done properly. We've put together this blog, with the help of the HSE Working at Height Resource, to show you how to work at height safely.

Who should work at height?

You may think that because you have a ladder and you know how to climb it that you're perfectly competent to work at height safely. The truth is, even people who work at height every day can make mistakes. So, no matter who you are, if you need to work at height it's important you follow safety guidelines laid out by Health and Safety Executive.

Before you start working

Before you even think about touching a ladder, you need to make sure that the work has been planned properly, will be supervised properly and is being carried out by someone with the correct training/experience and knowledge of working safely at height. You also need to check that you've got the right safety equipment.

Assessing the risks

We've spoken about step ladder risk assessments before, but when you're working at height on any ladder, a risk assessment is important. Think about how long the task will take, how many times you'll need to do it, and the type of surface you'll be working on. Working safely at height is largely down to how well you understand and manage potential risks. For example, if you think that there's any chance of a slip or fall, make sure you explore fall arrest equipment before making a start.

Working safely at height - what you should and shouldn't do:

You should:

• Get as much work done from the ground as you can
• Make sure extra precautions are taken if you're working near a fragile/breakable surface
• Ensure you're wearing protective headgear in case of falling objects
• Consider what would happen in the event of an emergency & make sure everyone on site is aware
• Ensure the climbing space is clear & free of debris

You shouldn't:

• Lean over or overreach while using ladders or scaffolding
• Overload ladders - make sure you check the maximum working weight before you start!
• Use ladders for tasks that require you to work at height for longer than 30 minutes at a time
• Use a ladder or work at height if you aren't qualified to do so

Ladders for Working Safely at Height

Here at Ladders UK Direct, we offer a huge selection of ladders for domestic and trade use that will allow you to work at height safely. We work with well-known suppliers to bring you some of the safest & most-loved ladders on the market. Use the buttons below to shop our ladders & scaffold towers - perfect for working at height in any location.

Ladders >     Step Ladders >     Scaffold Towers >

If you have any questions about working safely at height, you can contact the Ladders UK Direct team here - sales@laddersukdirect.co.uk.

When purchasing a ladder, it's helpful to know what length you need. But what about width? Should you be taking that into consideration too?

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If you want to work safely on a ladder, it's important to purchase one that's the right length for the task at hand. While you may think you can look at a particular wall and have a sensible guess at the ladder height you need, you're never going to be 100% accurate. If you want to calculate the right ladder length, follow these steps.

Extension Ladder Length

In order to be used safely, extension ladders need to be leant up against a hard surface with a suitable pitch. If you're working on a platform like a roof, you need to make sure your ladder extends a few feet past the workspace. When calculating the right extension ladder length, it's important to take these extra few feet into account.

Here's an example to show you how to calculate the right ladder height for a 20ft wall.

To work safely, your extension ladder needs to be pitched at a ratio of 4:1. So for every 4 feet up, you need to move the ladder 1 foot out. This is known as the '1 in 4' rule.

So, if you want to work on a 20ft wall, the ladder needs to be moved 5ft out. Propping a ladder against a wall creates a right-angled triangle, with the ladder as the hypotenuse (longest side), so it's time to think back to maths class: to calculate the length of the hypotenuse, we'll need to use Pythagoras's theorem.

In case you haven't brushed up on your trigonometry lately, Pythagoras's theorem states that the length of the hypotenuse squared = the triangle's height squared + the triangle's width squared. Let's apply this to the example above...

• 20 squared is 400
• 5 squared is 25
• 400 + 25 = 425
• The square root of 425 (to two decimal places) is 20.62

This means that your ladder needs to be 20.62 feet long (minimum) to allow for the ladder to be propped up against the wall at a safe angle.

Then, you need to add a few feet so that the extension ladder can extend past the working ledge. So, if you want to climb a 20ft wall, you need a ladder that's approximately 24ft long!

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Step Ladder Length

Calculating the right step ladder length is a little easier because you don't need to take pitch into account. Just bear in mind:

• The step ladder will need to get you within roughly 4ft of the area you're working on
• You must not stand on the top three treads of a swingback step ladder (see Step Ladder Do's and Don'ts)

Let's use a 10ft wall for our example - if you want to work on a gutter that's 10ft off the ground, you'll need a step ladder whose platform or topmost safe tread is 6ft off the ground. This allows for the 4ft working space we mentioned before.

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Still not 100% sure how to calculate the ladder length you need? Contact the Ladders UK Direct team for expert advice.

The average height of a two-storey house is between 4.7m (15.5ft) and 5.8m (19ft). For a two-storey house, we recommend a 3.0m to 7.0m extension ladder.

Working out how tall your house is is no easy task. It's not like you can just grab a tape measure and set to work! Eyeballing it won't give you an accurate height either. The last thing you want to do is order a ladder and realise it's a few feet too short or wildly too long. Don't worry - we're here to help.

If you live in a single storey house or bungalow then you might already have a ladder that's tall enough to reach the gutters. The average single storey house is only 3.3 metres or 10.8 foot tall, so you have a lot more choice. There's a wide selection of step ladders, combination ladders and extension ladders that will allow you to reach this height with ease.

Now, most people live in two-storey buildings which average a height between 4.7 and 5.8 metres (or 15.5 - 19 foot). As you can imagine, finding a ladder to satisfy this height might be a little more tricky. You'll be pleased to hear that you're in the perfect place to buy one! Here at Ladders UK Direct, we supply a huge range of ladders that can be used to reach the guttering on a two-storey house. For example...

LFI Super-Trade PLUS Triple Extension Ladder

One of our best-selling ladders, the LFI Super Trade PLUS Triple Extension Ladder comes in a range of heights - most of which are suitable for the average two-storey house in the UK. The 3.0m-7.0m is a great 'safe' option, but this ladder also comes in shorter and longer lengths.

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Glass Fibre Double Extension Ladder

If you're worried about a low-hanging electrical wire, we'd recommend choosing a ladder that's tall enough for your two-storey home but that's also non-conductive. This will help you to stay safe if an accident occurs while you're working outside your house. This ladder is made of top-quality fibreglass that's specifically designed for use around electrical / chemical hazards.

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How tall of a ladder do I need for a 3-storey house?

If you're purchasing a ladder for a 3-storey house, you'll need a bit of additional length. Extension ladders over 5 metres in length should work perfectly. As a good rule of thumb, always ensure that you can carefully reach the desired location while your waist is below the ladder stiles. You can browse some of our longer length ladders by clicking the links below.

• 7-metre ladders
• 8-metre ladders
• 9-metre ladders

Note: If you're planning to do extensive work on the roof of your home, we'd highly recommend investing in a proper roof ladder! These come with a hooked edge that will provide excellent stability while you work on the roof of your two-storey house.

Browse Roof Ladders >

If you're still not sure which ladder is the best choice for your two-storey home, contact Ladders UK Direct today. We'll help you find the right ladder for your requirements!

Working with ladders on uneven ground can be really challenging. Here at Ladders UK Direct, we'd always recommend using your ladder on flat ground where possible, but we understand that sometimes this simply isn't an option. If you find yourself having to use a ladder on uneven ground, you should do whatever you can to make the ground even before you start.

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