In late May
this year, a man in his 60s was badly injured after falling from a ladder at
his home in Leicester.  The police
believe the ladder was deliberately pulled out from underneath him and are
conducting inquiries to find out what happened and who was responsible.  In all our years in the ladder world we have
seldom heard about a ladder fall caused deliberately, but it can happen from
time to time.  While we don’t want to
speculate, it could be the case that someone wishing the ladder user harm took
the opportunity to injure him when it was presented – it’s highly unlikely to
be a prank committed by a complete stranger.

Most of us
don’t have the sort of enemies who would wish us serious physical harm,
although if you do it’s wise not to put yourself in the vulnerable position of
being up a ladder alone.  Everyone should
stick to the best practice of having a second person on the ground either
footing the ladder or being an observer and helper.  The person on the ground can get help should
you fall accidentally, and they can also stop third parties from deliberately
interfering with the ladder.  A second
person can also be vigilant for pedestrians and other people in the vicinity
who might not have noticed the ladder; engrossed on a mobile phone it’s easy
for people to bump into things they weren’t aware of and while we all laugh
when someone walks into a lamppost, it’s a serious matter if they knock into a
ladder and send the person at the top crashing to the ground.

If it’s not
possible to have a second person on the ground, or it’s a private property
where no-one will absentmindedly walk into the ladder, it is still a good idea
to use a ladder stopper or secure base to keep the bottom of the ladder
stable.  New ladders come with wide
stabilising bars at the base as standard, but these can still be used with
devices such as the Megastoppa or the Laddermate base stabiliser.  These accessories provide a virtually
immoveable base for the ladder, drastically reducing the chance of the ladder
slipping in any direction. 

Another safety
consideration from the ground level is stopping unauthorised people climbing
the ladder, for which a ladder guard is ideal. 
This accessory is attached to the front of the ladder and removes access
to the lower rungs, meaning it can’t be climbed by curious kids.  A ladder guard is especially useful for fixed
ladder, such as those on scaffolding, as it stops access to any part of the
scaffold tower by removing access to the first steps. 

If you have
to work up a ladder alone then the ladder stoppers and stabilisers we sell are
perfect for keeping you safe and stopping the ladder slipping out from under
you.  If you’re working up a ladder where
there are people who could pose a risk to the stability of the ladder,
intentionally or otherwise, then ensure you have a trusted second person on the
ground to be vigilant, steady the ladder and get help in the event that it is
needed.