A ladder risk assessment starts a row earlier than most: is a ladder justified for this work? The HSE's work at height law page, cited below, is about preventing falls, and a ladder is acceptable for short-duration, low-risk work where it can be secured and used properly. That judgement is the first row. Then the rows that control it: the fall, the ladder's condition, its placement and angle, the ground, the overreach, the load carried, the weather. The risk assessment template on this site prints them, free and without an account.
The justification
Short duration, low risk, three points of contact possible, the ladder can be secured, a platform would be disproportionate. Written as a row with the reason, so an approver sees the question was asked. The HSE's guidance, cited below, gives risk assessment as five steps: identify hazards, assess the risks, control the risks, record your findings, review the controls, and says that if you employ 5 or more people you must record your significant findings.
The ladder itself
Inspected before use, the right class for the work, undamaged, on firm level ground, at the correct angle, secured at the top or footed, extending far enough above the landing. Each a control in the row.
The use
No overreaching, one hand for the ladder, nothing heavy carried, no work that needs both hands for long, the weather limit for outdoor use. The row that turns into the method's step. The row says who inspects the ladder and how often, and where the tag is kept.
The record
Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, cited below, requires every employer to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees, and regulation 3(6) requires an employer with five or more employees to record the significant findings and any group of employees especially at risk. Author, reviewer, date, review. DailyLogDesk Pro keeps the assessment with the method that places the controls; the template prints it. From the vendors' own pricing pages, cited below: SafetyCulture lists its Premium plan at $29 per seat per month billed monthly or $24 billed annually, with a free plan for small teams; Contractor Foreman lists its Basic plan at $49 per month for one user. DailyLogDesk Pro is $29 per month for the whole site team.
Questions people ask about ladder risk assessment
Are ladders banned on site?
No; they are for short, low-risk work where they can be secured, and the assessment records the judgement.
Should ladders be inspected?
Before each use by the user and periodically by a competent person, with the periodic inspection recorded.
Is the template free?
Yes, without an account.