The amount of time you can either work on a ladder or use a ladder for access is governed by specific guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive that ensure any work carried incurs as little risk as possible to you and those around you.
However, some companies now have a strict policy of no working on ladders in any situation, while others have implemented limitations that are far stricter than those laid down by the HSE. In such situations anybody working within such an organisation must abide by the rules stipulated by the company and make the necessary changes to their working arrangements to accommodate these guidelines.
Ultimately, the answer to how long you should work on a ladder has to be for the shortest amount of time possible. Any work at height should be done in the minimum amount of time that is safe for the job but gets the work done.
Furthermore, make sure that you are fully capable of doing the task that the job entails. If you are not physically or mentally fit to do the job in hand then either get someone else to do it or wait until you feel fully prepared.
Under Health and Safety guidelines, ladders are an acceptable form of equipment when it is not justifiable to bring in more complex material such as scaffold towers either because:
- The environment in which you are working carries little risk for using a ladder
- The work will take a short amount of time, which is considered to be between 15 and 30 minutes
- Where the features of the site dictate that ladders or combination step ladders are the most appropriate form of equipment
If you do feel that your work at height is going to exceed any of these points an alternative form of equipment should be considered. Though ladders are essential in a number of areas, these guidelines are set in place for your protection and only by following them diligently can you ensure the safest possible job.
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