Ladder inspection checklist template (PDF and Excel) with ladder register
Inspection report for leaning ladders, stepladders, combination ladders and step stools – with check points from stiles and rungs to the spreader safety device, result and next date. Plus an Excel ladder register that calculates the next inspection automatically.
As of PDF and ExcelAMS Go editorial team
Free: sign up for the newsletter once and all templates are unlocked in this browser. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Ladders and steps are work equipment: the employer must have them inspected at regular intervals by a person qualified to carry out inspections and sets the type, scope and intervals of the inspection in the risk assessment (Section 3 (6) and Section 14 of the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, BetrSichV). There is no fixed statutory interval – in practice, the annual ladder inspection has become standard.
The checklist guides you through the visual and functional inspection – from stiles and rungs to feet, hinges and spreader safety device to labelling – and records the result, defects and next date. In the Excel ladder register you keep track of all ladders and steps with their inspection dates.
What the template contains
- PDF inspection report with 16 check points in three groups and the columns OK, defect, not applicable
- Header data for ladder number, type, manufacturer, material, location and reason for inspection
- Second PDF page as a summary list for an entire inspection round
- Excel ladder register with drop-down lists and automatic calculation of the next inspection
How to use the template
- 1
Number and record ladders
Give every ladder and step stool a permanent number and enter it in the ladder register with type, location and interval. Private ladders brought from home have no place in the company.
- 2
Inspect and document
The qualified person works through the checklist at each ladder, ticks OK or defect and attaches the inspection sticker with the next date once the ladder has passed.
- 3
Remedy defects and track dates
Withdraw defective ladders immediately and label them, have them repaired properly or scrap them. Sort the ladder register by “Next inspection” once a month.
Legal basis
- Section 3 (6) of the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV): defining the type, scope and intervals of inspections
- Section 14 (2) and (7) BetrSichV: periodic inspection by a person qualified to carry out inspections, records kept at least until the next inspection
- Section 4 (5) BetrSichV: check for obvious defects before every use
- TRBS 2121 Part 2: hazards to employees when using ladders
- DGUV Information 208-016: guidance on handling ladders and steps
Frequently asked questions
How often must a ladder be inspected?
No regulation sets a fixed interval. You set it in the risk assessment – based on frequency of use, stress and the defects found in earlier inspections. 12 months is common, shorter for rough use, for example on construction sites. In addition, users carry out a visual check before every use.
Who may carry out the ladder inspection?
A person qualified to carry out inspections (Section 2 (6) BetrSichV, TRBS 1203). For ladders and steps, training in ladder inspection as offered by the employers' liability insurance associations (Berufsgenossenschaften), inspection organisations and manufacturers is usually sufficient – so your own employees can take on the inspection. During the inspection, this person is not bound by technical instructions.
Is an inspection sticker on the ladder mandatory?
What is mandatory is recording the inspection with type, scope, result and name of the inspector (Section 14 (7) BetrSichV), not the sticker. It has proven its worth, though: users can see at a glance whether the ladder has been inspected and when the next inspection is due.
You may use and adapt the template freely in your own company and for your own clients. It reflects the regulations named as they stand.
Never search a spreadsheet for a deadline again
In AMS Go, what this template covers lives in one system with reminders, history and records at the push of a button – mobile and with AI support.
Related guides
More templates
- Testing duties
Work equipment inspection register template (Excel) with inspection intervals
ExcelFree download - Safety inspections
Safety inspection checklist (PDF) and defects list (Excel)
PDF + ExcelFree download - Testing duties
DGUV V3 test report template (PDF) and test list (Excel)
PDF + ExcelFree download - Testing duties
Racking inspection report template (PDF and Excel) under EN 15635
PDF + ExcelFree download
