The safe work instruction from the Ladder Safety & Competency Pack, on its own: what the worker does, step by step, the hazards and controls, and when to stop.
A safe work instruction tells the worker how to do the work safely at your site: the purpose and scope, who may do the work, the equipment, the hazards and their controls (most effective first), PPE, the steps with clear stop points, emergencies, consultation and approval, and a signed acknowledgement. A short setup note lists what to adapt and every placeholder.
It is the same document as in the Ladder Safety & Competency Pack, word for word. The Ladders VOC Assessment Template checks a worker can do the work in it, and the Ladders Field Verification Checklist checks on site that the controls it relies on are working. 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.
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).
| File | Format | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Ladder Safe Work Instruction | Word (.docx) | Step-by-step instruction for the worker: deciding whether a ladder is the right choice, choosing the right type and rating, the pre-use check, setting up and securing it, three points of contact, working within reach, and moving and storing it. |
The safe work instruction is where the documents start: the VOC checks a worker can do the work in it, the pre-use checklist covers each job, and the field verification checks the controls it relies on. The Ladder Safety & Competency Pack contains all four.
Tells the operator what to do
The steps, hazards and controls for the task, written for the person doing it.
Included
Checks they can do it
Verifies each operator against that same instruction, on your equipment, with evidence and a clear outcome.
In the pack
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
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.
In the pack
What supervisors find in the field feeds back into the instruction and the VOC.
Before first use, adapt the documents to:
Before you use them
Yes, word for word. It is the safe work instruction from the Ladder Safety & Competency Pack, sold on its own with a short setup note.
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 field verification checklist, written to work together, with a setup guide. The pre-use checklist and the setup guide are only in the pack.
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.
No. Where the manufacturer's instructions differ, follow the manufacturer and change the document to match.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For workers who use ladders, platforms, roofs or anything off the ground: why falls kill, and the order of controls that prevents them.
For workers at height and the people below them: how objects fall, and the controls that stop them falling or hitting someone.
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.
Safe work instruction, VOC assessment, pre-use checklist and a supervisor field verification checklist, written to work together.
Verify workers: knowledge questions with a marking guide, a practical observation checklist, fail criteria and sign-off.
The supervisor's field verification checklist from the pack, on its own: checks on site that the controls for the work are in place and working.