Three serious falls prompt ladder safety warning

Three Serious Falls Prompt Ladder Safety Warning

A safety alert issued by SafeWork SA highlights dangers involved with working at height on ladders. Three serious falls prompt this ladder safety warning, urging construction businesses to review their approach to working at heights before another tragedy occurs.

The regulator reminds the construction industry to identify whether a ladder offers the highest level of protection against fall risk, or whether alternative equipment should be used instead.

Three Incidents in Six Weeks

This warning follows three serious incidents involving falls from ladders over the past six weeks, prompting renewed concern across the construction sector.

On 19 January 2022, SafeWork SA was notified that a worker was fatally injured after falling from a ladder. A person was killed while installing ceiling joists in a warehouse when the incident happened.

Two other workers have suffered serious injuries after falling from height, bringing total casualties across these incidents to three people affected. In each case, ladder instability appears to have contributed to the outcome.

Why Ladders Are Not Always the Safest Option

SafeWork SA Acting Executive Director Glenn Farrell reminds duty holders that work platforms or scaffolding provide a much safer way when working at heights compared to standard ladders.

"Deaths and serious life-changing injuries through falling from ladders can occur from surprisingly low heights," Farrell said.

"This is highlighted by the fact that in 2021, 61% of serious injuries associated with a fall below 2 metres were from a ladder. Most of these incidents involve a ladder being used incorrectly or inappropriately, often because ladders are not maintained in good working condition, or because they are used unsafely for tasks better suited to fixed platforms."

Managing Risk on Construction Sites

SafeWork SA reminds employers to consider control measures that manage risk of falls from heights when using ladders. Falls can occur suddenly and without warning, particularly where ladder instability or hazardous surface conditions are present.

Construction businesses should assess whether hazardous tasks performed at height genuinely require a ladder, or whether scaffolding, elevated platforms, or other equipment would reduce risk more effectively. Health and safety obligations extend beyond simply supplying equipment — employers must actively verify it suits the task at hand.

Where electrical work is involved, additional caution applies. Electrical hazards combined with falls can compound risk significantly, since contact with electrical wiring or equipment while positioned on an unstable ladder increases the chance of serious injury. Employers overseeing electrical installation work at height should apply the same scrutiny to platform selection as they would for any other construction task, and pair electrical safety controls with fall prevention measures rather than treating them separately.

For businesses managing electrical risk alongside height-related hazards, resources such as an Electrical Safety Policy or an Electrical Safety Checklist can help formalise how electrical and fall risks are jointly assessed on site.

Supporting Health and Safety Compliance

Additional information on the above safety alert is available on the SafeWork SA website, and duty holders are encouraged to review it alongside their existing health and safety procedures. Construction employers seeking practical tools to strengthen their approach can also refer to a Falls Prevention Checklist or explore broader Falls Management resources designed to support safer work at height.

Similar warnings have emerged elsewhere, including a recent alert on construction falls prompting a WorkSafe Victoria warning, and an earlier notice regarding ladder injuries prompting a WorkSafe safety reminder. Together, these alerts reinforce a consistent message: ladder falls remain a persistent and preventable risk across the industry.

Businesses looking to strengthen broader safety systems, including incident reporting and risk documentation, may also benefit from exploring dedicated Safety Software solutions built for construction environments.