Companies that have employees working at height are being given the chance to obtain new ladders as part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Ladder Exchange 2009 scheme.

The initiative gives organisations the opportunity to trade in broken or bent ladders in part-exchange for new and potentially safer alternatives.

"If you have a ladder which is bent, broken or battered you can part-exchange it for a new one," the HSE advises.

"This year the Ladder Exchange Initiative will run from September 1st until December 31st," the body adds.

In the two years in which it has previously run the scheme, the HSE claims to have removed 5,500 "dodgy" ladders from workplaces.

However, the initiative is not only about replacing the hardware; it is also intended to inspire training reviews on pre-use and supervision.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/ladderexchange.htm