Strata ladder safety

Here is how to manage the hazards and risk falls when working from heights on common property.

Ladders are commonly used across strata schemes for tasks such as gutter cleaning, lighting replacement, painting, routine maintenance, or inspections on common property. While ladders are convenient and widely accessible, they are also one of the most misused tools and present a high risk of injury when not used properly.

This guide follows guidance provided by Safe Work Australia on how owners corporations and body corporates can effectively identify, assess, control, and monitor risks, particularly those involving ladder use. It also integrates the hierarchy of controls to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how owners corporations and body corporates can manage hazards using a risk management framework:

Who is responsible for health and safety duties?

Under WHS laws, key duty holders must manage, eliminate, or minimise risks when working with ladders or at heights on common property. This includes:

Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs).
Designers, manufacturers, importers, and suppliers of plants, substances or structures.

WHS obligations apply to owners corporations, and body corporates that engage with workers such as cleaners, contractors, tradespeople, and building managers to work on common property. In these cases, they are legally considered either as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) or a person with management and control of a workplace, and have a duty to manage, eliminate, or minimise risks associated with work done on common property as reasonably practicable.

Furthermore, workers and other persons at the workplace also have duties under the WHS Act, such as taking reasonable care of their health and safety.

Key WHS duties include:

Eliminating or minimising the risk of falls with working at heights so far as is reasonably practicable.
Ensure that appropriate fall protection systems are in place for work at heights.
Verifying that contractors working at height are competent and adequately trained.
Requesting Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for construction work with a risk of falls over two metres.
Consulting with contractors and maintenance workers about safety hazards.
Coordinating with other duty holders on shared WHS responsibilities.

State	Legislation
NSW	Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (Chapter 4.4)
QLD	Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Part 4.4)
VIC	Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Part 3.3)

Cost of non-compliance

Failing to comply with health and safety duties can lead to substantial penalties for duty holders.
Fulfilling these obligations is especially important if your owners corporation or body corporate is classified as a person conducting business or undertaking (PCBU). This is typically the case if a worker or contractor is employed to do repair and maintenance work on common areas within mixed-use residential and commercial property.
In this scenario, the property is deemed a ‘workplace’, which requires the owners corporation or body corporate to establish a work health and safety risk management system that aligns with regulatory standards. Failure to meet WHS obligations can result in legal liability, severe financial penalties, and an increased risk of accidents on common property.

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Step 1: Identifying hazards

The first step in the risk management process is to identify all hazards involved with working from heights. This involves identifying risks and situations that could potentially cause harm to people.

Working at height involves any tasks or activities where a person could fall from one level to another, regardless of distance. This includes work on ladders, roofs, balconies, mezzanine floors, or even into pits or holes.

Falls can occur even from a low height and result in serious injuries, including fractures, spinal damage, and fatalities. These incidents carry emotional and financial consequences and can lead to substantial legal liabilities for the owners corporation or body corporate.

Common risks can arise from:

Gutter cleaning.
Roof inspections.
Solar installations.
Window cleaning.
Replacing lights in stairwells or foyers.
Painting external facades or ceilings.
Accessing HVAC or solar equipment.
Installing fixtures.

Common hazards include:

Insufficient lighting.
Being hit by falling objects.
Unprotected roof edges and balconies.
Use of step ladders and extension ladders.
Fragile surfaces such as skylights or corroded sheeting.
Slippery or uneven surfaces at elevated levels.
Inadequate lighting near stairwells or maintenance areas.
Blocked access areas.
Overreaching or improper ladder positioning.
Use of furniture or unstable objects to reach high places.
Inadequate training, equipment, or fall protection systems.

How to spot hazards:

Engage with professional service providers:

Engage specialists to assess anchor points, access routes, and edge protection. Their expertise can pinpoint overlooked risks, and that need further attention.

Conduct inspections:

Inspect areas before any work from heights is conducted, such as roofs, balconies, plant rooms, and high-traffic areas. Early identification of hazards can help uncover any hazards or risks to common property or areas where work will occur.

Monitor work:

Monitor contractors’ activities to ensure they comply with safety procedures. This step is crucial to maintaining safety standards and uncovering any hazards early on.

Encourage responsibility among all residents:

Anyone can encounter hazards on common property. Keeping all residents informed and educated on the proper channels for reporting potential risks and issues on common property is essential.

Step 2: Assessing risks

Once hazards are identified, the next step is to evaluate and prioritise the situation based on the severity and likelihood of the risks.

Using the risk assessment matrix in your Community Health & Safety guide will help identify the likelihood of an incident that may cause harm. Then, the possible severity level will be selected based on the consequences that could result from the risk or hazard. The result from this table will generate a risk score, which may assist in showing how soon the hazard needs to be addressed. Please refer to the risk matrix sheet below for more detailed information on prioritising and action incidents.

With a general understanding of the hazard, owners corporations and body corporates should seek licensed service providers for a more detailed risk assessment.

Some factors to consider when conducting a risk assessment:

Nature of the risk or hazard

Evaluate the height at which the work is to be performed and how long the task will last. Greater heights and extended durations usually call for more extensive safety protocols.

Identify who is at risk

Determine who is at risk while working at heights. This could include contractors, cleaners, building managers, and residents. Understanding the risk group helps tailor safety measures accordingly.

Likelihood of risk or hazard

Pay attention to weather conditions, surface materials, and surrounding structures. Factors like slippery surfaces or unstable structures can increase the risk.

Review control measures:

Finally, review if existing safety controls, such as guardrails and signage, are functioning effectively. These measures can significantly decrease the likelihood of accidents. If existing controls are not adequate, the following section can help you determine what methods can be used to manage the risk.

Safety control measures

Once risks have been identified and evaluated, the next task is implementing control measures to address the issue. This is important as WHS Regulations require duty holders to demonstrate that adequate action has been taken to manage the risk.

The ideal course of action is always to remove the hazard at its source. Simple issues can sometimes be addressed quickly using existing control measures. However, other hazards may demand more time, effort, and planning.

If removing the risk at the source isn’t feasible, the next step should be prioritising and taking action on safety measures based on their effectiveness and reliability in minimising harm using the hierarchy of controls. This framework helps create a structured, best-practice approach to help duty holders manage hazards based on their effectiveness and reliability in minimising harm. Below is an overview of each stage of the hierarchy of controls, from most to least effective.

Eliminate the hazard

The most effective way to address any risks is through elimination, which completely removes the source of the hazard. Some measures can include:

Assess whether the work could be down from the ground to avoid working from heights if possible e.g. use extendable tools instead of climbing ladders.
Ensure safe entry and exit ways for workers, residents, and visitors at heights.
Avoid requiring roof access by installing ground-level inspection ports.
Identify and remove unnecessary access to hazardous areas before contractor arrival.
Postpone non-essential work during inclement weather or peak resident activity.
Repair any faulty barriers that could cause falls.

Substitute the hazard

When it’s not feasible to eliminate the source of the hazards, it is best to minimise the impact by substituting or replacing a hazard with something that gives rise to a lesser risk.

Assess if work can be done from the ground to avoid heights.
Replace any faulty equipment, such as ladders, barriers, and platforms.
Utilise mobile scaffolds, elevated work platforms (EWPs), or roof anchor points with harnesses instead of ladders.

Isolate the hazard

Restricting the spread or exposure of the hazard can also help reduce risks. Some measures can include:

Restrict access to roofs, balconies, or plant rooms, unless authorised.
Set clear work zones using cones, signs, or barricades.
Lock and restrict access to plant rooms or rooftops when work is being conducted or if it is not in use.

Implement engineering controls

Engineering controls are physical measures that can be used to help minimise risk. This can include:

Provide a fall prevention device e.g. ladders, barriers, scaffolding, edge protection, or an elevating work platform.
If fall prevention devices aren’t feasible, provide alternatives such as work positioning systems (e.g. rope harnesses) or fall arrest systems (e.g., safety nets or catch platforms).
Ensure adequate lighting in poorly-lit stairwells or service areas.

Implement administrative controls

Administrative controls are strategies for implementing rules and procedures to manage hazards and help minimise the risk to others on the property. Some measures can include:

Secure a Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for work with a risk of falls above two metres.
Create site-specific induction programs for contractors.
Place warning signage around ladders, scaffolding, or roof areas.
Schedule work during safe daylight hours and favourable weather.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Alongside other safety measures, giving workers the proper safety equipment or PPE can add an extra layer of protection against hazards. Some measures can include:

Ensure workers use non-slip shoes and helmets.
Train workers in the correct use and inspection of PPE.
Confirm the contractor has appropriate PPE for the job (e.g. harness, gloves, boots).
Supply PPE such as safety vests or hard hats for high-risk common areas.
Prohibit the use of unsafe or faulty PPE on-site.

PICA Group tip

Administrative and PPE measures should support, not replace, other control measures.

While they depend on human behaviour and supervision, these methods are less effective in reducing risks when used in isolation. Therefore, these controls should be utilised when other strategies aren’t practical or as stop-gap measures while implementing more efficient control methods.

Review and monitor hazards

Control measures should be regularly reviewed and adjusted to maintain effectiveness.

Ladder safety inspection

To maintain safety and prevent accidents, ladders must be thoroughly inspected before use. Avoid using a ladder if it has any of the following issues:

Missing, loose, or damaged rungs or treads that compromise safety.
Rungs or treads secured with nails rather than proper fasteners.
An unstable or insecure tie-rod.
Defective ropes or fittings, especially for rope-operated extension ladders.
Warping or signs of structural deformities.
Missing or damaged fasteners, rivets, guides, or latching hooks.
Makeshift repairs that do not meet safety standards.
Use by children under 12 years old.
Use by individuals under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Use by someone with a physical injury that may hinder safe ladder operation.
Use by someone with a known or suspected mental illness affecting their ability to use the ladder safely.

Best practice ladder safety guidelines

Always keep both feet and one hand firmly on the ladder to maintain stability.
Avoid climbing higher than the third rung from the top of the ladder.
Do not push outward unless the ladder is securely anchored to prevent movement.
Take steps to protect people and property below from falling tools or debris.
Avoid using portable hand tools that require two hands unless you are wearing a safety harness.
Carry light tools in pockets, a shoulder bag, or attached to a tool belt.
Hoist heavy tools or materials with a hand line and store them on a safe platform at the working height.
When working in public or high-traffic areas, rope off the base of the ladder and post clear warning signs.
Do not place ladders near live electrical conductors, moving machinery, or doors unless the area is properly secured.

Extension ladders

Secure the ladder at both the top and bottom to prevent slipping or movement.
Ensure the ladder extends at least one meter above the landing surface for safe access.
Maintain a 1:4 angle ratio (for every four meters of height, the ladder’s base should be 1 meter away from the wall) to provide stability.
Always position the ladder against a stable, solid surface to prevent tipping or collapse.

A-frame step ladders

Avoid standing on the top two steps of the ladder, as this can disrupt balance and increase the risk of falling.
Ensure all four feet of the ladder are firmly positioned on level ground and that the locking mechanisms are securely engaged before use.
Maintain three points of contact at all times while on the ladder – either two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand.
Always inspect the ladder for damage – look for cracks, loose fittings, or missing parts to confirm it is safe before use.

Reporting incidents and contact information

If an accident, unsafe condition, or equipment issue occurs, report it immediately to your workplace safety officer or supervisor. Ensure emergency contact numbers and reporting forms are easily accessible at the worksite.

By following these safety precautions and reporting any issues promptly, you can significantly reduce the risk of ladder-related incidents while maintaining a safer working environment.

Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks

Further guidance on the risk management process and the hierarchy of control measures is available in the Code of Practice provided by Safe Work Australia.

Conclusion

Community Health & Safety is here to help.

Ladder safety is a non-negotiable responsibility that requires a layered, proactive approach. By identifying hazards, implementing effective control measures, and regularly reviewing systems, owners corporations and body corporates can help maintain safety and compliance. Following the risk management process and hierarchy of controls helps demonstrate that risks are reasonably managed following required WHS regulations.

Our Community Health & Safety service is here to help provide schemes with appropriate mechanisms to manage these risks while ensuring the obligations under the regulations are met. Our CommunitySelect contractors are vetted to ensure they have Safe Work Method statements and procedures as well as proper insurance coverage for public liability. When there is work on going in strata the area must be made safe before, during and after work has been conducted.

Through our resource library, online reporting system, and centralised repository, we are here to help support you in managing your health and safety obligations.

Each state may have specific legislation and regulations concerning health and safety duties in owner corporations and body corporates. To help navigate these regulations, Safe Work Australia, a national policy body, offers a range of resources and tools to help committees manage hazards and risks. For the latest general WHS updates, guidance, and recommendations, please visit the official Safe Work website at safeworkaustralia.gov.au.

Author

This article is edited by Lauren Shaw Regional General Manager and Licensee-in-Charge on July 2025.

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