ID Tag Holders for Ladders

Employers and anybody else who contracts others to carry out work at height must ensure that the work is carried out in a safe manner and that the tasks undertaken comply with regulations.  The working at height regulations of 2005 (WAHR 2005) apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall that is liable to result in personal injury.  The WAHR 2005 do not just apply to the construction industry, but to every single industry here in the UK.  If working at height (including working on a step ladder) is required, then the WAHR 2005 apply.

This means that employers and managers must make sure that:

•    Those carrying out work at height are competent to do so and have received the correct training.
•    All work at height is properly planned.
•    The risks from working at height must be fully assessed beforehand.
•    Appropriate work equipment must be provided and used.
•    The risks of working on or near fragile surfaces (such as fragile roofs, roof lights, etc.) should be properly managed.
•    The equipment used when carrying out work at height must be properly inspected and maintained.

Everybody involved in work at height (this includes managers and supervisors as well as users) should have the correct training that will provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary for using ladders in a safe and legal manner.  There are national training scheme courses that cover the inspection of work at height equipment that can be completed in just one day.

When it comes to ladder inspection, there should be a system in place that is used to ensure that all the requirements of the WAHR 2005 are met.  This means using a ladder inspection checklist in order to complete the inspection correctly.  You’ll need to formulate a checklist that is suitable to your business requirements and then print it out to provide a convenient method of inspection.

Once you’ve completed the ladder inspection, you’ll need a method of demonstrating this.  The best way of doing this is to attach a ladder inspection tag to the ladder.  In order to make this process easier and more convenient, we’ve designed and produced a ladder ID tag system that satisfies the requirements of fall protection and ladder users and installation workers.  It’s comprised of two parts with a back plate which secures the tag in place and a transparent cover which provides both weather and UV resistance while ensuring that the tag is clearly visible.  The tamper proof ID tag is secured with a pair of cable ties which cannot be removed without cutting them. If the tag insert is removed the tag contains a warning that the equipment should not be used. 

The ladder inspection tag holder will not weaken the ladder in any way and will not require any invasive modification such as drilling or riveting in order to ensure that the tag is secured to the ladder.