Posted By Dee I would be interested to hear other forum members views or experiences. I have this week been involved with a company who had been using a safety product that improves the grip of ladders on surfaces reducing the need for two people (this isn't the point I am interested in) Company whilst using this product (in the correct manner) has major RIDDOR and has now banned use of said product. Product was one that was promoted at an HSE roadshow/conference type event. Do the HSE go back and investigate suppliers when these kind of things happen? How do we know of other incidents of this happening? Anyone come across anything similar? Dee

Posted By ddraigice HSE's advice is that these stability devices should only be used after risk assessment suggests that no other access is reasonably practicable. If it is then qu to ask are: Will there be over reaching, is the surface level, does the operative have three points of contact at all times, does the work carried out on the ladder result in a change in the operatives centre of gravity (drilling into wall for example)... etc. Just because it was in a HSE event does not mean HSE advocates its use. What they should have done is firstly assess whether the ladder was the best tool for the job as per hierarchy and if it was the best tool, it should still be tied or secured. HSE's guidance says that these systems should not be used instead of tying, although some are better than the relatively useless method of footing the ladder. Some companies are under the impression that if they have a risk assessment for using the ladder then they are complying but the risk assessment should assess the job and not the tool used in the first instance.

Posted By ddraigice Be careful here - don't put things in writing that may be seen as being detrimental to this company. Could it be seen as libel? It is very doubtful whether this product is to blame. If the product was being used properly they can be effective. I'm sure the guidance that came with this would not say it could be used instead of tying a ladder. The point I made earlier is that they should not be used to justify your choice of access equipment. If HSE does investigate this accident it won't be looking at whether this product (which for all intents and purposes is just a stability device) was to blame but whether the company complied with the WAH regs.

Posted By ddraigice No. Unless the product can be deemed to be faulty or advertises itself as doing something that it patently doesnt do. If this is the case with this product you should report it to HSE and trading standards who will investigate the company to make sure they alter it/remove it from the market. It doesnt sound like this is the case though. All of these that I've seen don't make such claims and say they should not be used in isolation. This could be the exception though.