I have worked on many building sites over the years,from canary wharf,to Manchesters civil justice centre,and Manchesters media city,Londons white city and anywhere from Elgin in Scotland Down to Poole and probably further. Ladders are not banned, BUT their use is greatly restricted, You can use them for access only, or for short duration work. One part of our job was putting safety nets up,Using ladders for this was getting more and more difficult, Big name main contractors like Bovis or Laing 'o' Rourke etc virtually ban their use,every single possible alternative has to be used. Now as a one man band sole trader I do not think ladders could or would ever be banned (or restricted),But as an employer I think they will be,or if an accident happens you will be in serious bother. Also if your a firm that works on a commercial site (not you local butchers,bakers etc) I think because of their insurance/H&S policies I think it will become very difficult to be able to use them.As for step ladders,They are banned on building sites,I have never worked on a site in years where you can use a step ladder (except for odd poxy little firms). Other methods are not necesserily safer if the user is not, I know of numerous quite serious accidents and at least one fatality ( A sub contractor who worked with/for our firm) using cherry pickers and scissor lifts.
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