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Ladders Field Verification Checklist

The supervisor's field verification checklist from the Ladder Safety & Competency Pack, on its own: check on site that the controls for ladders work are in place and working.

  • EquipmentLadders
  • TaskWorking at heights
  • DocumentsField verification checklist
  • FormatsWord (.docx), editable
  • CodeDOC-LDR-FV
  • Version1.0 · 296 KB ZIP

About this document

A field verification checks controls, not paperwork. The supervisor watches the work and marks each check Pass, Not met or N/A, with the evidence seen. Critical controls are marked, and a critical control that is Not met is escalated the same shift. The checklist also has questions for the people doing the work, an actions table with owners and due dates, and sign-off. A short setup note lists what to adapt and every placeholder.

It is the same checklist as in the Ladder Safety & Competency Pack, word for word. The Ladders Safe Work Instruction Template sets out how the work is done, and the Ladders VOC Assessment Template checks a worker can do it. Both are sold on their own too. The Ladder Safety & Competency Pack contains all of them, with the pre-use checklist and a setup guide.

A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. No licence is needed to use a ladder, but the work must be planned so that a ladder is used only where a safer way of working at height is not reasonably practicable. A VOC does not change that.

Who it is for

  • Supervisors and managers responsible for ladders work
  • Businesses checking critical controls on a set schedule, and after a change or incident
  • WHS advisers setting up consistent critical control verification across sites
  • Businesses that already have a safe work instruction and need to check, on site, that it is followed

What it helps you do

  • See on site whether the controls are in place and working, not only on paper
  • Escalate a failed critical control the same shift
  • Track every action to an owner and a due date
  • Hear from the people doing the work where the near misses are
  • Feed what you find back into the safe work instruction and the VOC

What is included

Delivered as one ZIP download. The files below are editable, and every Word document also comes as a PDF. Each download also includes Read Me First, a Setup Note, a Product Overview, the Permitted Use Terms and Version Information (PDF).

FileFormatWhat it is for
Supervisor Field Verification ChecklistWord (.docx)For a supervisor at the job: checks that ladders are the right choice and type, in good condition, set up and secured correctly, used with three points of contact and kept clear of powerlines.

How the documents work together

The field verification closes the loop: it checks on site that the controls the safe work instruction relies on are in place and working, and what it finds goes back into the instruction and the next VOC. The Ladder Safety & Competency Pack contains all four.

Safe work instruction

Tells the operator what to do

The steps, hazards and controls for the task, written for the person doing it.

In the pack

VOC assessment

Checks they can do it

Verifies each operator against that same instruction, on your equipment, with evidence and a clear outcome.

In the pack

Pre-use checklist

Checks the equipment is fit to use

Before each use, with clear do-not-use criteria and what to do with a fault.

In the pack

Field verification

Checks the controls are working on site

A supervisor checks on the floor that the controls the instruction relies on are in place and effective.

Included

What supervisors find in the field feeds back into the instruction and the VOC.

Set it up for your site

Before first use, adapt the documents to:

  • Your equipment: make, model, capacity, attachments and any site-specific modifications
  • The manufacturer's operating instructions and data plate, which take priority over anything generic
  • Your site layout: traffic routes, pedestrian walkways, exclusion zones, loading areas and speed limits
  • Your local controls, procedures, emergency arrangements and reporting lines
  • Consult the workers who do the task, and your Health and Safety Representative if you have one
  • Review the documents after an incident, a near miss, new equipment or a change to the site

What you need

  • A supervisor or manager who knows the work and can stop or restrict it
  • Your safe work instruction, site plans and local controls
  • A schedule for each area, and a named person for escalation
  • Time to talk to the people doing the work

Before you use them

  • No licence is needed to use a ladder, but the work must be planned so that a ladder is used only where a safer way of working at height is not reasonably practicable. A VOC does not change that.
  • The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used.
  • Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Questions about this document

Is it the same as the checklist in the pack?

Yes, word for word. It is the Supervisor Field Verification Checklist from the Ladder Safety & Competency Pack, sold on its own with a short setup note.

Should we buy the pack instead?

If you need more than this one document, yes. The Ladder Safety & Competency Pack contains this document, the VOC assessment, the pre-use checklist and the safe work instruction, written to work together, with a setup guide. The pre-use checklist and the setup guide are only in the pack.

How often should we verify?

As often as the risk needs. Set a schedule for each area, and verify sooner after a change, an incident or a Not met on a critical control.

Does it replace a licence or a VOC?

No. A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. No licence is needed to use a ladder, but the work must be planned so that a ladder is used only where a safer way of working at height is not reasonably practicable. A VOC does not change that.

Do you need a licence to use a ladder?

No. No licence is needed to use a ladder, but the work must be planned so that a ladder is used only where a safer way of working at height is not reasonably practicable, and the person must know how to use it safely. A VOC records that the worker can use your ladders safely.

What is the three points of contact rule on a ladder?

Keep two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand, on the ladder when climbing it or working from it. That means tools are carried in a belt or raised separately, not held in the hand while climbing. The safe work instruction sets out this and the other ladder rules.

What is the difference between a safe work instruction and a SWMS?

A safe work method statement (SWMS) is a document WHS and OHS laws require before certain listed high risk work, such as work on a building site with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres; it sets out the hazards and controls for that work. A safe work instruction is a step-by-step guide for doing one task or using one piece of equipment safely, written for the person doing it. Many workplaces use both. The safe work instruction gives workers the steps, and the field verification checks on site that they are followed.

Can we edit the documents?

Yes. Every document is supplied in Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx), so you can add your logo, change the wording and adapt it to your workplace. The copyright notice must stay.

Do we need to adapt them before use?

Yes. The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used. The setup note in the download lists what to change.

Will these documents make us compliant?

No document can. Your duties are met by managing the risks in your actual workplace. Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Is GST included in the price?

Yes. Every price in the store includes GST, so $49.00 is the total, including $4.45 GST. Your receipt is a tax invoice showing the GST.

How are the files delivered?

As a ZIP download. Card purchases can be downloaded straight away from the confirmation page and by a link we email you. Download links expire after 14 days for security; you can request a new one at any time.

Can we order by invoice, or for several sites?

Yes. Use Request an Invoice to order through your normal procurement process, with a purchase order number and quantities if you need them. The files are released once payment is confirmed.

Can we use them at more than one site?

Yes, across your own organisation. The documents are licensed for internal use by the purchasing organisation. A consultant, labour hire business or training provider supplying them to clients needs separate written permission.

Can we use them outside Australia?

They are written for Australian workplaces and refer to Australian WHS and OHS laws and licences. A business elsewhere should replace those references with its own country's requirements. Everything is editable for that.

What is your refund policy?

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected. See the Refund Policy for how we handle a document that is faulty, not as described, or not what you ordered.

Licence and legal information here is general. It may not be correct in your jurisdiction: please check with your local WHS or OHS regulator.

Ordering for a business or several sites? Request an invoice. Other questions: contact us.

Goes well with

Start with a toolbox talk to brief the crew on the hazard, then use the safe work instruction, the VOC and the field verification checklist to set and check the controls.

Working at Heights Awareness

For: All workersDuration: 20–30 minutes

For workers who use ladders, platforms, roofs or anything off the ground: why falls kill, and the order of controls that prevents them.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Dropped Objects Awareness

For: Workers who work at height or below itDuration: 20–30 minutes

For workers at height and the people below them: how objects fall, and the controls that stop them falling or hitting someone.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Fall prevention at height is a common critical control. To manage it as one, with performance standards and field verification across the business, see the Critical Control Management series.

Related documents

Ladder Safety & Competency Pack

For: Employers whose workers use ladders

Safe work instruction, VOC assessment, pre-use checklist and a supervisor field verification checklist, written to work together.

What's included
  • Ladders safe work instruction
  • Ladders VOC assessment, with an Excel VOC register
  • Pre-use checklist and supervisor field verification checklist
  • Setup guide: what to adapt for your site

Ladders VOC Assessment Template

For: Supervisors, WHS advisers and workplace assessors

Verify workers: knowledge questions with a marking guide, a practical observation checklist, fail criteria and sign-off.

What's included
  • Knowledge questions with a marking guide
  • Practical observation checklist
  • Evidence requirements and safety-critical fail criteria
  • Assessor sign-off, plus an Excel VOC register

Ladders Safe Work Instruction Template

For: Owners, supervisors and WHS advisers

The safe work instruction from the pack, on its own: the steps, hazards and controls, stop points, emergencies and sign-off, in editable Word.

What's included
  • Step-by-step instruction with clear stop points
  • Hazards and controls, most effective first
  • Emergencies, consultation, approval and review
  • Worker acknowledgement, plus a setup note