Falls from height remain a leading cause of serious injury, often involving ladders. Ensuring a ladder’s structural integrity before every use is essential. A consistent inspection routine mitigates the risks associated with working above ground level. This routine involves two types of checks: a quick assessment before each use and a detailed maintenance inspection performed periodically.
The Non-Negotiable: Inspection Before Every Use
A quick, pre-use check is the user’s first line of defense against accidents. It should be performed every time the ladder is moved to a new location or before a new task begins. This visual and physical assessment takes less than a minute and focuses on identifying immediate, obvious defects that may have occurred since the last use. The purpose is to confirm the ladder is safe for the specific task at hand.
This immediate inspection is a practical safety measure carried out by the person who will be climbing the ladder. It ensures that no new hazards, such as mud or grease on the rungs, have been introduced, or that the ladder has not sustained damage from handling or storage. If any defect is found during this check, the ladder must be immediately taken out of service to prevent a potential fall.
Periodic Maintenance Checks Based on Usage
Beyond the daily pre-use check, a more thorough, detailed inspection is necessary to maintain the ladder’s long-term structural integrity. The frequency of this deeper maintenance check depends heavily on how often the ladder is used and the environment in which it is stored. For a homeowner with light or infrequent use, a detailed annual inspection is generally recommended, ideally before the first use of the season.
Ladders subjected to moderate or heavy use, such as professional tasks, require a more frequent schedule, with a detailed check every three to six months being common practice. This systematic examination is designed to catch smaller defects that might not be apparent during a quick visual check. Any event that could compromise the ladder’s safety triggers an immediate, detailed inspection, regardless of the last scheduled check. This includes instances where the ladder was dropped, involved in a fall, or exposed to extreme conditions like fire or corrosive chemicals.
The Critical Safety Checklist: What to Look For
The detailed inspection focuses on specific components where structural failure or loss of stability is most likely to occur.
Stiles and Rails
The stiles, or side rails, must be examined for any signs of cracks, splits, dents, or warping, which indicate a loss of load-bearing capacity. For fiberglass ladders, inspectors look for cracks and exposed fibers. Metal ladders are checked for dents and signs of corrosion or rust that could weaken the material.
Rungs, Feet, and Hardware
Rungs and steps must be checked to ensure they are tight and secure to the side rails, with no looseness or missing rivets or fasteners. The ladder feet require inspection for wear, damage, or missing non-slip pads, as compromised feet can cause the ladder to slide out at the base. On extension ladders, the ropes, pulleys, and rung locks must be tested to ensure they move freely and engage correctly. Stepladders require verification that the spreader bars and locking mechanisms fully and securely engage.
If any defect is identified, the ladder must be immediately tagged or marked “DO NOT USE.” It must then be repaired by a qualified person or destroyed, as temporary fixes are not an acceptable safety measure.