A recent news report highlights the danger of using cheap, poorly-made telescopic ladders.

Photo credit: Mark Hunter (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

According to this Metro article, an electrician suffered broken ribs after falling around 15 feet onto a concrete floor when his telescopic ladder reportedly snapped in half. The ladder had been purchased online via Amazon.

Incidents like this are a serious reminder that when you're working at height, the quality of your ladder really matters.

Using a ladder to work on a roof can be incredibly dangerous without the right equipment. In fact, around 48,000 Brits take a trip to A&E every year as a result of a ladder accident in and around the home. Worse still, the number of ladder-related fatalities also makes for seriously grim reading.

So, whether you’re repairing tiles or cleaning gutters, a roof ladder is an essential tool for safety and stability and knowing how to use one correctly can significantly reduce the risk of potentially life altering accidents.

This week (12th – 16th May 2025) is No Falls Week.

Now in its second year, this annual campaign aims to promote good height safety practices in British workplaces. Falls from height kill more workers in this country than any other type of accident, so it's crucial for employers and their staff to understand the risks that come with working at height and the steps that can be taken to mitigate said risks.

Falls from ladders are the most common type of fall from height in UK workplaces, so we at Ladders UK Direct take height safety very seriously indeed. In the spirit of No Falls Week, here's some advice to follow if you (or your employees) need to use a ladder while working...

DIY work can be an exciting way to reinvent your space, however can become very dangerous if you don’t consider your safety. In fact, every year DIY work is responsible for around 70 deaths and 250,000 serious injuries, the majority of which are caused by improper ladder safety.

This blog will go over our top 5 ladder safety tips for you to bear in mind next time you want to use a ladder for your DIY job.

It’s OK to use ladders and stepladders on site as long as you consider the following in your risk assessment: