"Ladders are BANNED"

Why the Humble Ladder Still Has a Place in Modern Safety

I would like to share a story about a situation I had on a site related to ladders and that safety isn’t just about following rules, it’s about using the right equipment for the task.

The situation unfolded while I was carrying out a fire compartmentation survey in the plant rooms of a large commercial site, and it centred on one of the simplest tools in the workplace: the ladder.

The survey required me to be able to access high levels in the plant rooms to check above pipework, cable trays and ducting looking for any penetrations in the building fabric and to identify any existing fire stopping that had been damaged. As set out in the RAMS, myself and an assistant were on site, and we were both trained in the safe use of ladders. For the first week, we used our step ladders as expected and the work went smoothly.

Out of the blue, I was informed there was a site-wide ban on ladders. Instead, I was told to use a desk surfer platform that the site could provide. On paper, this might have looked like a safer option, but in practice, it was the wrong choice.

Equipment That Wasn’t Fit for Purpose

I wheeled the desk surfer into position and quickly realised the problem. While the platform was stable, it didn’t allow me to properly inspect the areas required. The line of sight simply wasn’t there.

I documented the issue with photos, set out the reasons and justification, and passed everything to the site contact. What followed was a back-and-forth email exchange that stretched into three hours of lost time. Eventually, I was permitted to go back to using the ladders.

The Lesson Learned

This experience highlighted a key point: ladders are not flawed relics from the past. They can be misused, yes, but with proper training and safe systems of work, they are still an essential tool. A blanket ban didn’t make the task safer. In fact, it made it more difficult, less efficient, and risked compromising the quality of the survey.

Conclusion

Safety is about more than rules. It’s about understanding the job, assessing the risks, and making sure the equipment matches the task. Ladders, when used correctly, remain one of the most practical and effective tools we have. Sometimes the simplest solution really is the safest one.