The London Underground, part of Transport for London, has joined the Ladder Association, the trade body representing the ladder industry in the UK and Ireland.

The Association supports technical excellence, safety and best practice and is a major contributor to the setting of national and international standards. It also delivers a range of training courses designed to ensure that people carry out tasks with ladders sensibly, safely and appropriately.

Comments London Underground’s HSE Manager, Tony Heritage: “We decided to join for a number of reasons, but primarily to have access to the latest guidance and resources from an organisation dedicated to height safety.”

“The ladder is an invaluable piece of workplace equipment, especially in an organisation that operates 270 stations across 11 lines and carries millions of passengers every year.”

“Joining also provides us with the opportunity to contribute directly to the work of the Association thorough its various committees.”

Comments the Ladder Association’s Marketing and Communications Officer, Gary Chudleigh: “One of the key issues with ladders, strangely enough, is how simple they are. Working with a ladder is something that people do, on such a regular basis, that it can be mistakenly seen as so simple and straightforward that nobody needs guidance or training.”

“Ladder Association members, such as London Underground, recognise this fact and aim to use knowledge and expertise to improve height safety in the workplace.”