Posted By Julie Geairns Hi everyone Could someone please give me a definitive answer on whether or not wooden ladders are still legal to use in the workplace? Many thanks in advance. Julie

Posted By J Knight Yes, provided as Ken says, they cokply with PUWER and WAHR and they have not been 'repaired' and are subject to a schedule of inspection. It is this question of repair which explains why wooden ladders which have been painted are generally frowned upon, the paint could be hiding tampering of some sort, John

Posted By Mark Talbot Absolutely. It's just that many of us are restricting their use because very often they are not properly maintained and are unsafe to use. Last week I found three sets of wooden stepladders on site - ALL THREE had at least one screw missing, several loose, and an unofficial 'repair' using an inappropriate nut and bolt. They were all destroyed. As Ken said, the new Work at Height Regs need to be met, and they have their own section all about ladders.