If you work in the utilities industry, such as Gas, Water, Electricity or Telecommunications sectors, you’ll know that the standard Ladder & Stepladder for Users training doesn’t always fully prepare you for the unique situations you could potentially face on site.
That’s exactly why, in November 2025, the Ladder Association launched a new, sector specific course to address this gap.
Co-authored by our Managing Director, Steve Booker, in collaboration with the Ladder Association Training Committee, the Ladder & Stepladder in the Professional Utilities Sector Course has been built from the ground up for the reality of the job.
What is the Ladder & Stepladder in the Professional Utilities Sector Course?
This isn’t just a new module added onto an existing course. It’s a completely new programme, built around how ladders and stepladders are actually used across the utilities sector.
Utilities operatives rarely work in controlled environments. They are operating roadside, around obstacles, near excavations, and often in busy public spaces, usually with pressure to complete tasks quickly and efficiently.
This course shifts the focus away from standard instruction and towards real world decision making. It is about understanding risk in context, applying knowledge under pressure - and most importantly, focusing on behaviour, how people really act on site, not just what they can recall from a classroom session.
Designed by the Industry - for the Industry
This course was not built on assumptions about the utilities sector. It was shaped by the people working in it every day. By asking the right questions and listening to real experiences on site, the Ladder Association worked alongside organisations such as the Energy Networks Association (ENA), UK Power Networks, Sky, and Openreach to identify where the standard training course was falling short.
Workshops, site visits and observations in live environments all contributed to one clear goal. To create training that reflects what actually happens on site. Because if the training does not reflect reality, it is not really fit for purpose.
Who should attend this course?
If you work in gas, water, electricity or telecoms, this course has been designed with you in mind. It gives operatives, teams and subcontractors the confidence to use ladders and stepladders safely and legally within the exact environments they face every day.
For those looking to progress further, the qualification provided by this course is equivalent to the standard Ladder & Stepladder for Users course, providing the perfect pathway into the Ladder & Stepladder Inspection course.
We also support members of the ECA - Excellence in Electrotechnical and Engineering Services with an exclusive discount on all our scheduled public courses running throughout 2026. If you are in the utilities industry and its many sectors, this discount acts as the perfect gateway to access high quality, relevant training while keeping costs down.
Ready to Get Started? Book Here!
If you are serious about improving safety, competence and real world performance within your team, this is the course to consider.
📅 Find out more or view upcoming dates available on our website here: https://www.kentectraining.co.uk/courses/work-at-height/ladders-stepladders-in-the-professional-utilities-sector-course
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