Can you use a ladder on stairs?

On this page

1. 1Why are ordinary ladders and stepladders unstable on stairs?
2. 2Is there a specific rule on using a ladder on stairs?
3. 3What do the Work at Height Regulations say about ladders?
4. 4Does walking up a staircase count as work at height?
5. 5How does the work at height hierarchy apply to a job over stairs?
6. 6What equipment is designed for working over stairs?
7. 7Can you level a ladder on stairs with a box, a book or a plank?
8. 8Can you use a ladder from the stairs to reach a landing or a higher level?
9. 9What do manufacturer instructions say about stairs?
10. 10What about landings, handrails and the open side of the stairs?
11. 11Do the Work at Height Regulations apply to a ladder on stairs at home?
12. 12How do you plan and risk-assess a job over a staircase?
13. 13Who should do a job over stairs, and when should you hire a professional?
14. 14Which training helps with ladders and work over stairs?
15. 15Frequently asked questions

This guide is for decorators, maintenance staff, facilities managers and anyone who works above a staircase. It follows the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and HSE and Ladder Association guidance as at 29 October 2026, for Great Britain (Northern Ireland has its own regulations). The general ladder rules are in ladder safety: the rules, so this article covers only what changes when the floor is a staircase.

Why are ordinary ladders and stepladders unstable on stairs?

Because ladder guidance assumes a level, firm base, and a flight of stairs offers neither. HSE says to use a ladder “on level ground” and to use “proprietary levelling devices, not ad-hoc packing such as bricks, blocks, timbers etc”. For stepladders it says to “check all four stepladder feet are in contact with the ground and the steps are level”. On a staircase, a stepladder’s front feet usually stand on one tread and the back feet on a lower one, so the steps tilt and the ladder can twist or walk sideways under load. A leaning ladder’s feet sit on a narrow tread with a drop beyond the edge.

That is our reasoning from the published guidance, not a quotation, because no HSE or Ladder Association page we read describes a ladder on stairs. In our view a fall onto steps is also likely to be more serious than one onto a flat floor. A 2026 HSE research report quotes RoSPA’s estimate that over 700 people die and over 43,000 are hospitalised every year in England after a fall on stairs in the home. That figure covers all falls on stairs, not ladder work, but it shows why a stairwell is a poor place to take a chance.

Is there a specific rule on using a ladder on stairs?

No. We searched the official sources on 29 October 2026 and found none. We read HSE’s “Safe use of ladders and stepladders” pages, its work at height FAQs and myths page, leaflet INDG401, the current LA455 guide on the Ladder Association website (Version 1, Revision 1, September 2026) and the Association’s guidance pages, and we searched its site for “stairs”. “Stair” appears in the HSE pages only where HSE says walking up and down a permanent staircase is not work at height (and once, for a tower’s built-in access staircase). It does not appear in LA455, INDG401 or the Association pages we read.

So be wary of any page that says “the HSE says X about stairs”. The silence is not permission either: the general duties still apply, namely risk assessment, suitable equipment, a stable surface, competent people and the manufacturer’s instructions. A note on documents: INDG401 still points to an older leaflet, INDG455, but the Ladder Association says LA455, released in July 2021, replaced it. Use LA455.

What do the Work at Height Regulations say about ladders?

Regulation 8(e) says that where a ladder is used, Schedule 6 must be complied with. These are the paragraphs that matter on stairs. For the wider rules, see our guide to the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

These sit alongside regulation 4 (work at height must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely so far as reasonably practicable), regulation 5 (competence) and regulation 7 (equipment selection). With no stairs rule to point to, a duty-holder must show they assessed the risk and chose suitable equipment.

Does walking up a staircase count as work at height?

No. The Regulations define work at height to include “obtaining access to or egress from such place while at work, except by a staircase in a permanent workplace”, and HSE’s myths page says work at height “does not include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building”. An employee carrying a box up the office stairs is not doing work at height.

Working from a ladder, platform or tower above the stairs is different. That is work “in any place” where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury, so the Regulations apply in full. HSE’s FAQ says a working platform can be “virtually any surface from which work can be carried out”, including the treads of a stepladder. One grey area: the exception refers to a “permanent workplace”, and the HSE pages we read do not say whether a client’s house counts. That affects only the walking exception, not work above the stairs.

How does the work at height hierarchy apply to a job over stairs?

Regulation 6 sets a sequence. Employers must first ensure work is not done at height “where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely otherwise than at height”. If it must be, they must take suitable measures to prevent a fall and, where a risk remains, minimise the distance and consequences. Regulation 7 gives collective protection (such as guard-rails) priority over personal protection (such as a harness). HSE’s step-by-step guide calls these avoid, prevent and minimise.

Applied to a staircase, our illustrations are these. Avoid: HSE’s example is “using extendable tools from ground level”, such as a roller on an extension pole. Prevent: a guard-railed stepped tower or platform made for the flight. Minimise: keep the working height no more than the job needs and clear the treads below. Ladders sit at the “low risk, short duration” end, and because an ordinary ladder struggles to meet Schedule 6 on a flight, most jobs above stairs lead to different equipment.

What equipment is designed for working over stairs?

A few categories exist. No official source we found lists or approves products for stairs, so the choice rests on your risk assessment and the maker’s published instructions for the specific model. The table shows what we could verify.

These are not interchangeable. What a ladder may do on stairs, which legs adjust and what slope it allows is set out in its instructions. If the instructions are silent on stairs, our advice, not a legal rule, is to treat stairs as not approved. Do not rely on a retailer’s web page alone; ask for the manual.

Can you level a ladder on stairs with a box, a book or a plank?

No, never. HSE says to use “proprietary levelling devices, not ad-hoc packing such as bricks, blocks, timbers etc”, and not to stand ladders on movable objects such as pallets or bricks. A book, toolbox, offcut or folded rug all count as ad-hoc packing, and all can slide, crush or tip with a person standing above them. We do not recommend any improvised fix, and neither does the guidance. If the right equipment is not to hand, change the plan: a different method, a hired platform or tower, or a different person. A levelling accessory is acceptable only if that ladder’s own maker supplies it for that model.

Can you use a ladder from the stairs to reach a landing or a higher level?

Usually the staircase is the access, so no ladder is needed. Regulation 6(4) says work should be done from an existing place of work, or using an existing means of access, that complies with Schedule 1, where reasonably practicable. A sound staircase normally qualifies, and a ladder set up to bypass it would be hard to justify. Where a ladder is genuinely needed to reach another level, LA455 says it should be tied and extend at least 1 m above the landing point, and that stepladders “should not be used to access another level, unless they have been specifically designed for this”. Schedule 6 paragraph 6 similarly requires an access ladder to protrude sufficiently above the landing unless another firm handhold is provided.

What do manufacturer instructions say about stairs?

For stairs they are effectively the rule book, and the published guidance keeps pointing back to them. HSE says to read the manufacturer’s labels and to “refer to the manufacturer’s pictograms” on levelling; for combination ladders, never extend the top section beyond the limit in the manual. PASMA lists “the current instruction manual” among the needs for a stairway tower. The law backs this: regulation 12(2) says equipment whose safety depends on how it is assembled must not be used in any position unless inspected there, and regulation 14(2) requires people working under someone’s control to follow their training and instructions.

Manuals differ, but look for whether stairs are an approved use at all, how legs or sections are set and locked, any limit on slope, the maximum load including tools, and whether a stabiliser or guard-rail must be fitted. If the instructions cannot answer these, do not use that equipment on the stairs. Our EN 131 ladder standard guide explains ladder markings.

What about landings, handrails and the open side of the stairs?

The landing or flight that equipment stands on is the place where work at height happens, so its protection counts. Schedule 1 says an existing place of work must have “suitable and sufficient means for preventing a fall”. In workplaces, regulation 12(5) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires “suitable and sufficient handrails and, if appropriate, guards” on staircases, and the Approved Code of Practice (L24, 2013) adds that every open side should be securely fenced, with an upper rail at 900 mm or higher and a lower rail, and a handrail on at least one side. It also says stairs should be well lit.

Do not remove a handrail or guard to fit equipment unless effective compensatory measures are in place, because Schedule 2 allows removal only for the time and extent necessary. Work on a landing still needs the open edge protected, because a fall from a landing is a fall down the stairs. And dropped tools matter: regulation 10 requires suitable steps to stop objects falling or, failing that, to stop people being struck. Keep others away too: on a shared staircase that means closing it or providing another route, and if it is a fire escape, check with whoever manages fire safety first.

Do the Work at Height Regulations apply to a ladder on stairs at home?

It depends who is working and why. The duties fall on employers, people who control work at height and “relevant self-employed” persons. HSE’s page on the law says they apply to anyone who is “an employer or you control work at height”, and its FAQ names facilities managers and building owners who contract others to work at height. So a homeowner decorating their own stairwell is not an employer or self-employed and, in our reading, is not directly covered. We found no HSE statement saying so in terms; this is our reading of regulation 3 and HSE’s description of whom the rules apply to.

• A tradesperson in someone’s home is covered. Employers’ duties apply to their employees’ work, and self-employed people are covered where their undertaking is of a prescribed description, which under the 2015 self-employed regulations includes work on a construction site and any activity that may pose a risk to others.
• Landlords and building owners may be covered where they control work at height, such as contractors on communal stairs.
• The physics does not change. A homeowner may have no duty under these Regulations, but the ladder is still unstable on stairs.

For anything beyond a light task, a householder’s safest course matches a professional’s: use equipment designed for stairs, or hire someone who has it.

How do you plan and risk-assess a job over a staircase?

Regulation 4 requires planning, supervision and, within the plan, equipment selection and emergency and rescue arrangements. For a stairs job, a short written plan covering these points follows HSE’s hierarchy and Schedule 6:

1. Can the job be done without climbing? Extension tools, or work from the floor or landing.
2. How long will it take? HSE’s guide suggests other equipment if a task needs more than 30 minutes at a time up a ladder.
3. Which equipment is designed for this flight? Confirm from the manufacturer’s instructions, with reach and load.
4. Is the place sound? Clean, dry, solid treads free of loose material, with good lighting, handrails and fencing in place.
5. Who else uses the stairs? Close them or offer another route.
6. Is the equipment inspected in position? Regulation 12(2) requires it after assembly.
7. What if someone is stuck or falls? Agree who raises the alarm and how a person gets down from a platform.
8. Who is competent? Regulation 5 requires it.

Carrying equipment up stairs is a manual handling job too: our podium steps vs stepladders guide notes that stairs can mean lifting 30 kg or more.

Who should do a job over stairs, and when should you hire a professional?

Someone competent. HSE says competence means the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job, and training often happens on the job. For stairway towers, PASMA offers a one-day Towers on Stairways for Users course, which lists a current Towers for Users qualification as the experience required, so assembly is plainly specialised. Nexis CPD courses do not replace that practical training.

Our advice, not a legal test: call someone in when the ceiling is well above the stair, the job takes more than half an hour at a time, heavy tools or materials are involved, the staircase has an open drop, or you have no equipment that suits the flight. If you hire someone, ask how they will reach the work.

Which training helps with ladders and work over stairs?

Nexis CPD courses are CPD-accredited awareness training, not Ofqual-regulated qualifications, and they support rather than replace your risk assessment, the manufacturer’s instructions and practical training such as PASMA’s. If your employer, client or insurer asks for a specific practical qualification, check what they accept before you enrol. Three courses fit this topic:

Together they cost £18 rather than £27 under the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. If you train 5 or more staff, team places cost £6 a course place, with places lasting 12 months.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you use a stepladder on stairs?

Not an ordinary one on the flight itself. HSE says to check all four feet are in contact with the ground and the steps are level, which an ordinary stepladder will not normally achieve across different treads. Use only equipment the manufacturer says is suitable for stairs, such as an adjustable-leg design, after a risk assessment.

Is it illegal to use a ladder on stairs?

There is no specific ban and no stairs rule in the Work at Height Regulations 2005 or in HSE or Ladder Association guidance. But Schedule 6 requires the surface to support the ladder so its rungs or steps remain horizontal, which in our reading an ordinary ladder on a flight will not normally do, so an employer would struggle to justify it.

What is the safest way to work over a staircase?

Follow the hierarchy: avoid the climb with extension tools if you can, then use equipment designed for stairs with collective protection, such as a guard-railed stepped tower, used to the manufacturer’s instructions. A ladder is for low-risk, short-duration tasks where more suitable equipment is not justified.

Can I put something under one leg of a stepladder to level it on stairs?

No. HSE says to use proprietary levelling devices, not ad-hoc packing such as bricks, blocks or timbers, and not to stand ladders on movable objects. A levelling accessory is only acceptable if the ladder’s own maker supplies it for that model.

Do the Work at Height Regulations apply to ladders on stairs at home?

They place duties on employers, people who control work at height and relevant self-employed people. A homeowner doing their own DIY is, in our reading, not directly covered, but a tradesperson or contractor working in a home is. The risks to the person on the ladder are the same either way.

Do you need training to use stair access equipment?

The Regulations require people to be competent, or supervised by someone competent if being trained. For stairway towers, PASMA offers a one-day Towers on Stairways for Users course. Awareness courses help with risk assessment but do not teach practical assembly.

How long can you work from a ladder on stairs?

HSE’s guide suggests that if a task needs more than 30 minutes at a time up a leaning ladder or stepladder, you consider alternative equipment. On stairs, jobs that long point towards a platform or tower, not a ladder.

General information, not legal advice — check with HSE or a qualified health and safety adviser about your own situation. Based on the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (including Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 6), the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Approved Code of Practice L24, HSE’s ladder, work at height FAQ and myths pages and leaflet INDG401, the Ladder Association’s LA455 guide, PASMA’s stairway tower guidance and an HSE research report on stair safety, as checked on 29 October 2026. Nexis CPD courses are CPD-accredited awareness training: they are not Ofqual-regulated qualifications and do not replace your own risk assessment, the equipment manufacturer’s instructions or practical supervision.