How I Set Up the Ladder and Step Check Template with Customers in Pilla
I've lost count of the number of stepladders I've found with worn-out feet or a hinge that doesn't lock properly, still in daily use. The manager usually says the same thing: "It's been fine so far." Falls from stepladders break bones. They cause head injuries. People die from them. Not from dramatic heights, just from a kitchen stepladder with a foot that slipped on a wet floor because the rubber had worn smooth months ago and nobody checked.
Monthly ladder and step inspections are a basic control for anyone with work-at-height equipment. This article covers what the regulations require, walks through the template section by section, and shows you how to set it up as a recurring work activity in Pilla so nothing gets missed.
Key Takeaways
- What is a ladder and step check? A monthly visual and physical inspection of every ladder, stepladder, and platform step on your premises, checking structural integrity, feet condition, locking mechanisms, and storage. It catches deterioration before it causes a fall
- Why do you need one? The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that equipment used for working at height is inspected at suitable intervals. Falls from ladders are one of the most common causes of serious workplace injury, and a monthly check is the minimum formal inspection frequency
- How do you set it up in Pilla? Use the work template below, set it as a recurring monthly activity, and assign it to the person responsible for equipment checks at your premises
- How do you automate the follow-up? Set up Poppi to chase overdue checks, notify you when they're completed, and send a scheduled report showing completion status across all your safety checks
Article Content
Understanding What's Required of You
Falls from height are the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities and one of the top causes of major injury. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that any equipment used for working at height is inspected at suitable intervals and after any event that could affect its safety. For ladders and steps, monthly is the standard interval. It's not in the regulations as a specific number, but it's what the HSE expects and what any competent person would recommend for equipment in regular use.
The inspection itself isn't complicated, but it needs to be physical, not just visual. You set the equipment up, test the locks, check the feet, look along the stiles for bends, and try to move each rung. I've reviewed ladder checks where the person ticked every box without taking the ladder off the wall. That's not an inspection. It's paperwork.
Most failures develop gradually. A rubber foot wears smooth over weeks. A hinge loosens slightly each time it's used. Corrosion creeps in where equipment is stored in damp areas. The point of a monthly check is to catch that progression before the next person who climbs the ladder discovers it the hard way. In one kitchen I visited, a stepladder had a spreader bar that didn't engage properly. The chef told me he just held it with his knee. He'd been doing that for months. Nobody had formally inspected it.
Pre-use checks by the person using the equipment are separate. They should be doing a quick visual before every use: obvious damage, feet present, locks working. The monthly check is the formal documented inspection that sits between those daily glances and any specialist review. If a ladder fails the monthly check, it comes out of service immediately. Not tagged for attention. Removed.
Setting It Up as a Work Activity
I've built a ladder and step check template in Pilla covering equipment identification, a full structural inspection checklist, pass/fail recording, and notes. Set it up as a recurring monthly work schedule and assign it to whoever is responsible for equipment checks at your premises. Tag it (e.g. "Safety Checks") so it's grouped with your other recurring inspections and Poppi can track them as a set.
If you have multiple ladders and steps, you've got two options. Complete one check form per item, which gives you a clean history for each piece of equipment. Or complete one form and record all items, which is faster but less traceable. I'd recommend one form per item, especially if you're numbering or tagging your equipment. It makes the records far easier to follow when something goes wrong.
Equipment being checked
Record which specific piece of equipment you're inspecting. Include enough detail to identify it: type (stepladder, extension ladder, platform step), material, size, and location or identifier. "Aluminium stepladder, 4-tread, cellar" works. "Ladder" doesn't.
If you don't already have an inventory, the first time you run this check is a good opportunity to create one. Number or tag each item, record where it's normally stored, and use the same identifier every month. Consistency matters. When you're trying to trace the inspection history of a piece of equipment after an incident, inconsistent naming makes the records close to useless.
Ladder/step inspection
This is the core of the check. Work through each item on the checklist and tick it if satisfactory. Anything you can't tick means the equipment needs repair or removal from service.
Stiles (side rails) straight and undamaged. The stiles carry the load. Look along each one for bends, twists, cracks, or corrosion. Aluminium ladders get dented from impacts. Wooden stiles develop splits and rot. Any deformation means the ladder can't distribute weight properly.
Rungs/steps secure and not bent or cracked. Check every rung individually. Grip each one and try to move it. Loose rungs are a common failure point on aluminium ladders where rivets have worked loose. Check that anti-slip surfaces are intact, not worn smooth.
Feet/base pads present and in good condition. This is the check I see people skip most often, and it's the one that matters most in practice. Worn feet are the reason ladders slip. Pull each foot to make sure it's firmly attached. Check that the rubber isn't worn smooth or cracked. If the feet swivel, make sure they move freely. I've seen feet with cooking grease embedded in the rubber from kitchen use. That's not grip.
Locking mechanisms working correctly. Set the equipment up as if you're going to use it. Spreader bars must lock fully open. Hinge locks must engage and hold. Extension locks must catch at each position. Try to collapse the ladder once it's set up. If it gives, the locks aren't working.
Spreader bars (if applicable) secure. For stepladders, check the bars are straight, firmly connected at both ends, and not bent from overloading. Spreader bars are not steps. If they show wear from being stood on, that's a training issue as well as an equipment issue.
No corrosion, rust, or significant wear. Run your hand along the surfaces. Feel for corrosion you might not see. Equipment stored in damp areas develops rust faster than you'd expect. Pay attention to joints and pivot points where wear concentrates.
Safety labels legible. The weight rating needs to be visible. If it's worn off, you don't know the equipment's capacity. Either confirm it with the manufacturer or take it out of service.
Stored correctly when not in use. Ladders should be stored horizontally on brackets or hooks, not leaning unsupported against walls where they get knocked over. Poor storage causes most of the defects you find in inspections.
Inspection result
Pass or fail. Be rigorous. Any structural damage, worn or missing feet, locking mechanisms not engaging properly, or significant corrosion means a fail. There's no "borderline" category for fall equipment.
The most common mistake I see is passing equipment with "minor" issues. A slightly worn foot isn't minor. It's the difference between the ladder staying put and someone ending up on the floor. When in doubt, fail it. The inconvenience of taking a stepladder out of service is nothing compared to a broken hip.
Notes
For passing equipment, a brief note is fine: "All satisfactory. Good condition. Stored on wall brackets in cellar."
For failed equipment, be specific. Describe the defect, its location and severity, what you did with the equipment, and what happens next. "Left stile bent approximately 15mm out of true, appears to have been dropped. Removed from service and stored in locked area. Replacement ordered." That's a record that demonstrates proper management. "Needs attention" is not.
If you remove equipment from service, record how you did it. Did you physically move it? Label it? Lock it away? A failed ladder left where people can still grab it isn't really out of service.
Automate the Follow-Up with Poppi
Setting up the check is the easy part. Making sure it actually happens every month, across every piece of equipment, is where most businesses fall down. Poppi can handle the chasing so you don't have to.
Once your ladder and step check is set up as a recurring work activity in Pilla, you can use Poppi Actions to track completion, chase anyone who's behind, and get a regular report showing where the gaps are. I'd set these up on day one so the tracking starts immediately.
Tom, you have 2 overdue policies to read and acknowledge
Overdue training reminders
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Tom, you have 2 overdue policies to read and acknowledge
Emma has completed a mandatory policy
Video completion alerts
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Emma has completed a mandatory policy
Training Report: 87% team completion. Tom and Sarah behind on 2 mandatory policies, due 3 days ago.
Training gap analysis
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Training Report: 87% team completion. Tom and Sarah behind on 2 mandatory policies, due 3 days ago.