Today we are here to answer a question that, as work-at-height professionals, we have heard come up many times: does a ladder always need a lifeline? If not, when should it have one?
The short answer is no, there is no standard requiring ladders to have a lifeline. But it does say that you must always climb safely, especially once you go above two meters in height, so the necessary fall arrest systems will have to be used.
What Do the Regulations Say?
In Spain, the regulations do not require a ladder to have a lifeline in every case, but they do require that you always climb in complete safety and protect yourself against falls of more than two meters.
This means that, although it does not require a lifeline as such, it does require a fall arrest system to be used. In the next section we will look at alternatives to the lifeline and see different types, such as using a double lanyard to climb and always stay anchored, or a ladder with a raised anchor system with a self-retracting lifeline.
When it comes to regulatory references, on our blog we have several articles explaining different related standards. Some of them are:
- UNE-EN ISO 14122-4:2017 recommends that, from 3 meters in height, the ladder have back protection (a safety cage) or, failing that, a vertical fall arrest system. However, it also states that the two systems should not be combined at the same time, since the cage can hinder the proper operation of the fall arrest device.
- Law 31/1995 on Occupational Health and Safety, in Article 17, establishes that the employer must always guarantee workers’ safety and provide them with suitable equipment, whether personal or collective, whenever there is a risk of falling.
When Do You Need a Lifeline?
Although we say it is not mandatory, there are occasions when installing a vertical lifeline is recommended:
- If the ladder exceeds 2 meters in height, since it is considered work at height, a fall arrest protection system must be incorporated, whether a lifeline or another.
- If the ladder floor is slippery, it is outdoors and it often rains, there are strong winds, or some other external factor makes it more dangerous.
- When the ladder ends directly in a risk area such as a roof.
- When there is no safety cage (hoop cage).
A lifeline makes work at height easier, since it makes the protection continuous and keeps the worker from having to keep changing their anchor point. It also makes it easier to comply with the standard and conveys more safety and comfort.
If the ladder exceeds 10 meters in height, intermediate rest platforms would also be needed.
Alternatives to a Lifeline on a Ladder
In many cases there are other alternatives for protecting a worker using a ladder that are just as safe as a lifeline. The choice may depend on the environment, the height and the intended use, and the ones most commonly used are:
- Using a double lanyard: this is one of the simplest ways, where the worker uses two lanyards attached to their harness to climb up and down, always keeping at least one point anchored. But be careful with this system, because not all ladders or all parts of a ladder are suitable for anchoring, since in a fall they could break.
- Ladders with a safety cage: these incorporate a sort of cage that serves to reduce the free fall distance. This system is increasingly restricted by the standards, as it can sometimes be a problem because it offers a greater sense of security but does not entirely eliminate the risk.
- Self-retracting devices installed at the top: in some situations a raised anchor system with a 795A anchor point can be placed at the highest point of the ladder; in this case, the worker connects directly to the system with a self-retracting fall arrester, which locks if the worker falls or feels a strong pull.
Whichever system is chosen to protect the user, the most important thing of all is that it is properly installed and certified, the ladder design, and of course its maintenance.
Conclusion
This article starts with a question that raises a lot of doubts: “Can a ladder be installed without a lifeline?” And as we said, yes, it can, since the law does not directly require one. But it also makes clear that it does require, always, guaranteeing the safety of the worker using the ladder at height, and in many cases this is achieved by installing a lifeline.
If you still have any questions, you can contact us and we will gladly answer them.