In Painting and Decorating, Ladders are a common way to work at height - and a common source of falls when they are misused. This guide explains how Painting and Decorating teams in Ireland use Ladders safely, and why a Working at Heights Course ties it all together.
Ladders in Painting and Decorating: where the risk lies
A decorator coating a high stairwell, where a tower is the safe choice but a ladder is the tempting shortcut. Ladders are suited to short-duration, light work where three points of contact can be kept and a better platform is not justified, but in a Painting and Decorating setting the margin for error is small.
Pre-use checks for Ladders
Before any Painting and Decorating worker uses Ladders, confirm that:
- Stiles are straight and undamaged
- Rungs are secure, clean and not worn
- No makeshift repairs, paint hiding cracks, or missing parts
- Feet are present, intact and grip the surface
The relevant standard here is EN 131 (the current European standard for portable ladders; older Class 1 / EN 131 markings indicate industrial duty).
Common Ladders faults to never ignore
- Bent or split stiles
- Mud or grease on rungs reducing grip
- Worn or missing feet
- Seized locking bars
Painting is classic short-duration, high-frequency height work where overreaching from ladders causes most incidents.
The Working at Heights Course makes compliance simple
Certifying your people is quicker than most employers expect. Our Working at Heights Course is delivered fully online, takes about 45 minutes, and issues a downloadable certificate the same day. It is CPD certified, RoSPA approved and QQI aligned, and it is written specifically for Painting and Decorating teams using Ladders.
The Working at Heights Training covers the avoid-prevent-minimise hierarchy, ladder and stepladder safety, MEWPs and scaffolds, harnesses and anchor points, and how to carry out a proper risk assessment. Every learner finishes with a recognised Working at Heights Certificate that stands up to HSA inspection and supports your insurance position.
Training that goes beyond the tick-box
Supervision is the quiet control that holds everything together. Even a perfectly trained worker drifts under time pressure, so someone on site needs the knowledge and the authority to stop unsafe work involving Ladders in Painting and Decorating before it becomes an incident. That only happens when supervisors are trained too.
The cheapest control is always to avoid the work at height in the first place. For Ladders in Painting and Decorating, that can mean long-handled tools, lowering the task to ground level, or designing the job so no one needs to climb. Where that is impossible, collective protection such as guardrails and platforms beats personal protection every time.
Frequently asked questions
Do Painting and Decorating workers need training to use Ladders?
Yes. Safe use of Ladders is part of working at height. A Working at Heights Course covers selection, inspection and safe use for Painting and Decorating tasks.
How often should Ladders be inspected?
Before every use by the operator, plus formal recorded inspections to the relevant standard. Keep the logs for HSA inspection.
Is online training enough for Painting and Decorating height work?
Our online Working at Heights Training covers the legal and safe-system knowledge; equipment-specific practical tickets (such as IPAF or PASMA) are added where the task requires them.
More on staying safe at height
Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of serious and fatal workplace injury in Ireland, year after year. The pattern is depressingly consistent for ladders in painting and decorating: a short task, a familiar setting, a ladder or platform that seemed fine, and a single moment of overreach. Proper training breaks that pattern by making the safe choice the automatic one.
Get certified today
Do not wait for an HSA inspection or a near miss to act. Painting and Decorating teams can complete the Working at Heights Course online in 45 minutes and download a certificate the same day. For 10 or more learners, see our team training rates, or contact our team for a tailored quote.
Start the online Working at Heights Training now and put a recognised certificate in every worker's file before the next job at height begins.
