If your trusty old step ladder was on its last legs over the festive period and you don't think it will make it to next year then now is a great time to replace it.  Sales promotions are always worth looking at to pick up a bargain and if you're lucky you can even snap yourself a brand-new ladder, for a bargain price in the New Year sales. It is tempting to just buy the same ladder or the equivalent, after all your old ladder worked perfectly well while it lasted, so why buy something different?  Before you go out and purchase, take a moment to reflect and remember any times [...]

Some people don't need to use a ladder to reach a high shelf or barely used cupboard; Ekaterina Lisina, a Russian model and basketball player is one such person.  Standing at 6 feet 8.7 inches, she holds the world records for the tallest professional model and the woman with the longest legs.  Measuring 52 inches, her legs are the same length as the average 10-year-old is tall.  Lisina recently made an appearance on This Morning to talk about her world records and had to be interviewed with two step ladders, so that presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby could make conversation face to face.  The daytime TV pair both had to [...]

When you respect a ladder, and use it wisely it is nice to use, but take shortcuts and make assumptions and you could be on the wrong end of a naughty ladder accident.  There's never a good time to fall off a ladder but Christmas is definitely the worst; hospitals are stretched over this period and let's be honest, the thought of a hospital turkey dinner is less than appealing, so unless you want to spend Christmas in plaster, lying in a hospital bed and missing out on all the best festive TV, it is wise to take precautions when using your ladders for all manner of festive tasks. There are [...]

Everyone loves a sing-along, especially at this time of year because let's face it, we all know the words to every festive song having heard them countless times over the years.  We've put our spin on the classic Twelve Days of Christmas so join in if you know the tune! On the first day of Christmas Midland Ladders gave to me... a ladder stand off for my safety. On the second day of Christmas Midland Ladders gave to me... two locking brackets and a ladder stand off for my safety. On the third day of Christmas Midland Ladders gave to me... a three tread step ladder, two locking brackets and a [...]

Whether you reserve time at the start of the year for a Spring clean, or simply carry out a deep clean of one or more rooms at intervals throughout the year, you will need a ladder for many of the tasks that come with a full on tidy up, not least because it is during this chore that painting and decorating tasks are often integrated.  Cleaning the top of cupboards and bookshelves, as well as behind tall furniture, are both common deep clean jobs and in fact many of these chores are high up jobs – hoovering and cleaning skirting boards is much easier, as it can be done without any [...]

Podium ladders are a type of step ladder – built in an A-frame construction, they look and operate in a similar fashion but instead of the restrictions on using the top steps you find with a step ladder, a podium ladder has a specially designed extra wide platform at the top allowing you to gain extra height and retain a secure footing.  Podium ladders also have a handrail that extends from the top, which also provides security and can be used with accessories to create a tool station.  Some larger models even have a full guardrail that surrounds the user for added safety.   Working at height for a long time [...]

A couple from Canadensis, Pennsylvania, are seeking damages to the tune of $375,000 from Louisville Ladder, after an accident involving one of their ladders caused serious injury.  Dennis Mercurio was using one of their fibreglass ladders to fix an exterior light when the ladder twisted, throwing him to the floor.  Dennis and his wife Colleen claim that the ladder was defective due to the design, which they say causes excessive twisting.  They stated that the design of the ladder was inferior and that a better, more stable design would have prevented the accident.  At the time, Mercurio was working for Price Bros. Electrical Contractors, but it is unclear why the couple [...]

Many manufacturers offer ladders that look basically the same; in design, length and construction five ladders could be almost identical save for the colour and labels.  These identifying stickers tell you what the ladder is capable of in terms of load and usage according to how they meet certain safety standards.  Currently in the UK there are different standards for domestic ladders (BS 2037:1994 class 3) and for heavy industrial use (BS 2037 and BS1129 class 1), as well as EN131 for trade and light industrial use.  This is changing in November and these old standards will be withdrawn and replaced with a new EN131 classification that will cover all types [...]

People with limited mobility find ladders a real struggle to use.  At first glance, you might think that people with lower limb problems would avoid any situation in which a ladder is required, but very often these same people need to do certain types of exercise to improve their mobility or to recover following an operation.  Swimming and hydrotherapy exercises are commonly prescribed by physiotherapists, as the water supports the joints as they move, taking the strain off and making movements far less painful.  Getting in and out of a public pool, however, can prove very difficult for people that have lower limb mobility issues, as the ladders are steep and [...]

The 2005 Working at Height Regulations is an important piece of legislation for the construction industry, and in broader terms for any industry where ladders and height access equipment may be used.  The regulations are designed not to ban the use of ladders, but to encourage users to explore and consider alternative methods of height access that may be safer than a traditional ladder.  Of course, there are many jobs that require a ladder and this cannot be avoided, so the WAHR implores these users to pay close attention to their equipment, to ensure help is at hand and to work in the safest possible manner.   Cherry pickers and scaffold [...]