WAH — Ladder Work SWMS
Use of extension, step, and platform ladders for short-duration access tasks including selection and inspection.
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This SWMS covers the use of portable extension ladders, step ladders, and platform ladders for short-duration access tasks on construction and maintenance sites — no ladder use for extended trade work, no ladder as a work platform for two-hand tool use. The SWMS enforces the WHS Regulation 2025 principle that a ladder is an access device, not a working platform, and that any extended task above 2 m should be performed from a scaffold or EWP instead. The document is written for carpenters, electricians, painters, cleaners, and all trades who find themselves reaching for a ladder on a construction site. The ladder-related fatality pattern in Australia has three dominant modes: overreaching causing the ladder to translate out from under the worker, base slip on a smooth floor or wet surface, and upper landing slip where the ladder is not tied. A well-documented fourth mode is using a metal ladder in proximity to electrical hazards. The SWMS addresses all four. All work above 2 m triggers HRCW Category 3 under Schedule 1 of the WHS Regulation 2025; Section 299 requires this SWMS. CIH-authored and aligned with AS/NZS 1892 for portable ladder manufacture and the Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Worker leaning sideways beyond the ladder stile causes the ladder base to kick out; fall with ladder falling on top of worker.
Ladder feet slide on polished concrete, tile, or wet surface during ascent or descent; fall from any height on the ladder.
Ladder translates sideways at the upper landing when the worker transitions off; fall from top of ladder.
Electrocution when a metal ladder contacts an energised circuit, service drop, or exposed conductor; ladder and worker become conductive path.
Loss of balance during angle-grinder, drill, or impact-driver use because both hands are occupied; no 3-point contact possible.
Ladder too steep (greater than 4:1) or too shallow (less than 4:1) increasing the slip or overturn risk; manufacturer rating assumes the correct 75° angle.
Structural overload of a Domestic-rated (Grade II) ladder used for trade work; rung or stile failure during use.
Split stile, damaged rung, or defective lock mechanism failing under load; fall from previously-undeclared damaged ladder.
Head or hand strike against overhead structure while raising the ladder; impact injury during setup manoeuvres.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Task selection — before using a ladder, apply the WHS Regulation 2025 hierarchy: if the task involves two-hand tool use, extended duration (>15-30 minutes), or frequent ladder repositioning, substitute a scaffold, mobile tower, or EWP. Ladder use is justified only for short-duration single-hand access tasks.
- 2Ladder selection by rating — Grade I Industrial (120 kg rating) is the minimum for trade work; Domestic Grade II ladders are prohibited on construction sites per AS/NZS 1892. The rating is marked on the ladder; non-rated ladders are out of service.
- 3Fibreglass or timber ladder mandatory within 3 m of electrical hazards — metal ladders are prohibited where any contact with energised equipment, overhead service, or aerial is foreseeable. The SWMS names fibreglass as the default electrical-work ladder.
- 4Base preparation — ladder feet placed on level, hard, non-slip surface. On smooth or wet surface, use anti-slip feet attachment or a ladder grip mat; on soft ground, use a base plate or stake the feet. No ladder on a surface dressed with cleaning chemical or polish.
- 5Ladder angle 4:1 (approximately 75°) — confirmed by the 'arms-length' rule (stand at base, reach forward, palms should contact rungs at chest height) or by the angle indicator fitted to modern commercial ladders.
- 6Upper landing tie — extension ladders used for roof, platform, or upper-floor access are tied at the upper landing before ascent beyond three rungs; extension is 900 mm above the landing per AS/NZS 1892.
- 73-point contact maintained during ascent and descent — two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand, at all times. No carrying tools in the hands during ascent — use a tool belt or a second-person pass-up.
- 8No overreach rule — the worker's belt buckle remains between the stiles at all times; repositioning the ladder is always preferable to leaning out.
- 9Electrical isolation — any circuit within 2 m of the work path is isolated by lock-out tag-out per the Code of Practice: Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace (SafeWork Australia, 2020) before ladder use.
- 10Pre-use inspection — stiles checked for splits, rungs for deformation, feet for wear, spreaders and locks for function; any defect places the ladder out of service with a red tag and return to the hire company or supplier.
- 11PPE baseline: safety footwear with clean, grip-rated sole (AS/NZS 2210.3); gloves removed during ladder ascent to maintain grip on rungs; Grade II eyewear; hard hat with chin strap where height above 3 m.
- 12Two-person minimum for extension ladders above 4.5 m — one to foot the ladder during ascent, one ascending. Solo use of extension ladders is limited to short access where footing is definitively secure.
- 13Daily inspection and register — every ladder on site has an inspection tag dated within the last month; ladders over 12 months old in commercial use are subject to quarterly inspection per the PCBU's ladder register.
- 14Daily pre-start toolbox talk covering ladder register review, any changed work conditions, and tool-selection decisions between ladder and alternative access.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Primary binding guidance for ladder-use hierarchy — when ladder use is justified vs when a scaffold or EWP should be substituted.
Establishes HRCW SWMS duties for ladder work above 2 m.
Governs metal-ladder prohibition and electrical isolation before ladder use near services.
Applies to ladder-carry manual handling and overhead reach.
Manufacturing standard for metal portable ladders including Grade I Industrial rating.
Manufacturing standard for timber portable ladders used in electrical work.
User standard for ladder selection, angle, tie-off, and inspection regime applied in this SWMS.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Any ladder task that places the worker's feet above 2 m is HRCW Category 3 regardless of task duration. The common construction scenario of a tradesperson on a 6-rung ladder at 2.4 m triggers this category.
Because ladder work above 2 m triggers HRCW Category 3, Section 299 of the WHS Regulation 2025 requires this SWMS before work commences. Section 300 maximum penalty for failure is $36,000 for a body corporate and $7,200 for an individual. Ladder-fall fatalities regularly attract Category 2 prosecution under Section 32 of the WHS Act 2011 where the PCBU cannot demonstrate the hierarchy-of-control assessment (i.e. why a scaffold or EWP was not substituted) — corporate penalty to $1.73 million.
Who this is for
- →Trades using portable ladders for short-duration construction and maintenance access.
- →Electricians, plumbers, painters, and cleaners whose scope includes ladder work.
- →Facility managers maintaining the site ladder register.
- →Principal Contractors authorising subcontractor ladder use on construction projects.
- →Self-employed tradespeople operating as a PCBU with their own ladder-work HRCW obligation.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx, Word 2016 or newer compatible).
- ✓Title page with PCBU, ABN, site, project, and revision date fields.
- ✓Signed approval block for PCBU, Principal Contractor, and supervisor.
- ✓Hazard register with the 9 ladder hazards above, each with inherent risk, controls, and residual risk on a 5x5 matrix.
- ✓Ladder register template with inspection log and defect-out-of-service record.
- ✓Task-selection decision tree for ladder vs scaffold vs EWP.
- ✓Worker sign-on register and consultation record.
- ✓Applicable legislation schedule for NSW with a state-variance table.
- ✓Emergency contacts and rescue procedure for a ladder fall.
Worked example
An electrician and apprentice are engaged for smoke alarm replacement across 14 units in a Class 2 unit block in Miranda. Ceiling height averages 2.7 m. Before work commences the electrician completes this SWMS and elects to use a 2.4 m fibreglass platform ladder rather than an extension or step ladder — the platform ladder eliminates overreach and provides a stable working surface for the single-hand drilling task. A ladder register check confirms the ladder's quarterly inspection is current. During the job on day 2 the apprentice identifies a hairline crack in the platform; the ladder is immediately red-tagged and returned to the hire company; a replacement is delivered before work resumes. All 14 units completed over 3 days, no incident; the ladder register is updated on return to the depot.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — Section 19 primary duty of care; Section 27 officer due diligence.
- WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) — r. 78-80 (managing risk of falls), r. 298-300 (SWMS for HRCW).
- Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) — licensing of trades engaged in ladder work as part of building work.
- Electricity Supply Act 1995 (NSW) — Section 44 approach distances applied to metal-ladder prohibition near overhead lines.
- Building Code of Australia (National Construction Code) — access and egress provisions engaging ladder use.
Frequently asked questions
Is a ladder ever suitable for a 2-hour trade task?
Very rarely. The Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces identifies ladders as access devices for short-duration single-hand tasks. A 2-hour task almost always justifies a scaffold, mobile tower, platform ladder, or EWP. The SWMS requires documented justification if a ladder is proposed for any extended work.
When must a metal ladder be avoided?
Metal ladders are prohibited within 3 m of any energised electrical conductor, overhead service, or unknown electrical hazard. The default for electrical and solar work is a fibreglass ladder. The SWMS records the ladder type and the rationale; aluminium is not acceptable near electrical.
Does the SWMS cover platform ladders and podium steps?
Yes — platform ladders and podium steps are covered as preferred alternatives to extension and step ladders for short-duration trade work. They provide a stable working surface and eliminate overreach. Their use is recommended in the task-selection decision tree within the SWMS.
Is a fall-arrest harness required for ladder work?
Generally no — a ladder in use per this SWMS relies on 3-point contact and correct angle/tie-off as the primary fall protection. Harness-based fall arrest on a ladder is an unusual configuration and requires a dedicated anchor not supplied by the ladder itself. Where the work duration or reach approaches the limit of reasonable ladder use, substitute the ladder with an EWP or scaffold rather than adding a harness.
Can this SWMS be used in the ACT?
Yes — the ACT applies the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT) and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (ACT) which are substantially aligned with the model provisions. Update the legislation schedule to ACT citations; the AS/NZS 1892 ladder standards apply nationally.
Document details
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