This year the Ladder Exchange Initiative runs from now until 31 December 2009
Pictured - Peter Brown (HSE) joined by Craig Phillips (of Craig Phillips Building Skills Centre and Big Brother) and HSE partners at the 2009 Ladder Exchange Initiative Launch in Liverpool.
The Shattered Lives Campaign continues with
To further promote HSE’s award winning Shattered Lives Campaign we launched the Ladder Exchange Initiative on 1st September 2009 intended to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries resulting from falls from height.
Despite a sustained long term reduction, falls from height remains the most common type of fatal injury. In 2007/08, a total of 58 workers died and over 3600 employees suffered major injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace. Many of these incidents could be avoided by using the right equipment and taking simple precautions.
The focus of this four month initiative gives people the opportunity to get rid of old, damaged and broken ladders by trading them in for a new one. Over 5’500 ladders have already been exchanged under this initiative since it first launched in 2007 and we intend to build on this success.
The message remains simple - "Don’t let a dodgy ladder shatter your life”. If it’s not the right ladder exchange.
To help promote the Initiative this year we have used the same award winning imagery on our Ladder Exchange poster and postcard that makes the Shattered Lives messages so memorable. These are freely downloadable from our website. Campaign Materials.
HSE is working in close partnership with industry to ensure that anyone who needs to use a ladder , uses the right equipment for the job and uses it safely.
More partners than ever before are already supporting this Initiative and have made a firm commitment to work in partnership with HSE.
From now until 31st December 2009 anyone with a broken, damaged or bent ladder can part exchange it for a new one with discounts of up to 50%. To find out more about those involved visit:
Details of discounts being offered by partners can be found on their websites via Ladder Exchange Initiative 2009 - how to get involved.
At the Ladder Exchange launch held in Liverpool on 1st September 2009 Peter Brown Head of Work Environment, Gas and Radiation Division said:
"We want anyone working at height to use the right ladder for the job and to use it safely. Ladder Exchange is the perfect opportunity for businesses to assess the risks involved in using ladders and to adopt sensible health and safety measures."
From September both HSE and Local Authority Inspectors may include ladder checks as part of their inspections and where ‘dodgy’ ladders are identified they will take appropriate enforcement action which may include prohibiting their use!
For more information or details on how you can support the Initiative contact Dave Arden on 0151 951 4959 or at Dave.Arden@hse.gsi.gov.uk
