Keeping three points of contact when using stepladders

When climbing or working from a stepladder where you cannot maintain a handhold (eg putting a box on a shelf, hanging wallpaper, installing a smoke detector in a house ceiling), a risk assessment can justify whether the task is safe or not by taking into account:

• the height of the task;
• is a safe handhold still available on the stepladder ie not working above the second or third step depending on the type of stepladder (See figure 11 and 12 of the above leaflet);
• whether it is light work;
• whether it avoids side loading;
• whether it avoids overreaching;

Three points of contact can mean two feet and one hand, two feet and the body supported by a “D-ring” as show in the illustration, or two feet and the body supported by the stepladder.