Christmas ladder safety: deck the hall safely this Christmas!

Christmas is a time for fun, to enjoy spending time with family and friends - not spending time waiting in A&E. A survey revealed that 2.6 million people have fallen off a stool or ladder while hanging up Christmas decorations.

The survey highlighted the risks and dangers of putting up lights or balancing a ladder against a wall or tree, emphasising the importance of ladder safety at Christmas. 

We asked Jamie from The Christmas Decorators, the professional festive design and installation specialists what the most common risks are when decorating for Christmas:

“There are many risks when it comes to decorating for Christmas, as much of the work, such as hanging lights or baubles, is done at height. We face various hazards, including working on uneven ground in poor weather conditions and lighting tall trees where conventional ladders make it difficult to reach the top. This makes it crucial for us to implement strict health and safety procedures and use high-quality equipment specifically designed for the job. The Henchman PRO Tripod Ladders are essential as they allow us to fully adjust each leg to accommodate uneven terrain, steps, and slopes.”

Now that the time has come to deck the halls and get cosy by the fire, Jamie and Henchman are providing our safety tips for Christmas decorating. 

Safety at Christmas - what are the hazards?

Ladder safety should be at the forefront of your mind throughout the year, but Christmas comes with its own unique hazards. Homes fill up with family, friends and excited children, bringing presents, toys and food to almost every corner of the room - all of which present potential hazards when putting up Christmas decorations.

We’ve listed three festive tasks that can pose a risk below. 

Safety tips for Christmas lights

Whether you’re wrapping warm gold fairy lights around ceiling beams or going all out with a spectacular exterior light display, hanging lights from high places, they all come with a few risks. As you’re working from height, you’ll need to make sure you have a stable platform to stand on. 

If you don’t have a ladder, you may be tempted to balance a chair or stool, or - if you’re feeling adventurous - a stack of boxes. But no one wants to spend their Christmas with an injury, so we wouldn’t recommend risking it. 

This is especially true if you’re hanging outdoor lights. Icy paths, fallen, damp leaves and cold, numb fingers can add one or two wobbles to the process. If there’s no frost, you still need to make sure your ladder can grip safely into soft and sinking ground. We’ll go into more detail about working in snow and ice later in this guide, but, in summary, you shouldn’t work in severe working conditions - especially when it’s raining and you’re working with electrics. 

Even if you don’t slip, strong winds can throw you off balance, leading to a potential fall. Try and avoid stepping onto your roof if you’re hanging lights on your home’s exterior, but if you’re planning on creating a sparkling display on the top of your home, then only do so in bright, dry conditions. 

When working indoors, make sure to use a ladder instead of a stool. Clear the area of any clutter and debris, and be careful of any wires dangling from your lights. Maintain three points of contact - on a Henchman tripod ladder, you can do this by tucking your knees and leaning into the guard rail - and use the rubber feet to ensure a safe, sturdy grip, without scratching your floors. 

Decorating tall Christmas trees

If you’re lucky enough to have tall trees in your garden to adorn with twinkling lights, or ceilings high enough for the tallest tree you can find to add the star to the top of your tree, then you should make sure you can safely reach the top. 

As a general rule, you should double-check that the lights you’re using are safe for outdoor use, and be mindful of the wires as you’re climbing up and down your ladder. Always work in daylight. With a Henchman ladder, you can work hands-free, holding strings of lights or ornaments in place as you wrap them around tree branches, and the comfortable platform makes it easier to work for longer periods of time. The fewer moments for Christmas-related frustration, the better!

Hanging decorations from the ceiling 

Whether you’re creating a snowy sky or pining garlands to wooden beams, you may be spending a lot of time looking up to the ceiling while standing on your ladder. There are a couple of safety risks here - maintaining your balance, and keeping boxes of decorations within reach so you don’t need to take multiple trips up and down your ladder. 

This is where the right ladder is key. You’re working hands-free while using your ladder as a temporary storage space. Our tripods provide the stability that you need. You can tuck your knees into the frame and lean on the guard rail, providing more flexibility without compromising on safety. You’ll feel more confident when reaching, leaning and twisting on your ladder as you pin baubles, paper snowflakes or even twinkling greenery to the ceiling.

4 ladder safety tips for Christmas

Decorating for Christmas involves a lot of going up and down ladders, and so, with a number of hazards to consider ( stray baubles, icy surfaces and bright lights), it’s important to take precautions whenever you’re decorating. 

As leading ladder manufacturers, we know a thing or two about Christmas ladder safety. While Jamie and the Christmas Decorators have decades of experience in creating mesmerising displays for homes and businesses, from classic winter wonderlands to whimsical lights on tree branches. The team have worked in all kinds of conditions, taking the necessary precautions to stay safe when working at height. 

Jamie reminds us of key ladder safety practices: 

“Some of our key safety practices include using tool lanyards, ensuring there are two team members per ladder, and always maintaining three points of contact with the ladder. All the same health and safety policies that are used for gardeners or landscapers apply to us, but we use them to light trees, hang motifs, and install giant inflatable reindeer. You name it, we do it!”

1. Make a list and check it twice

When working at heights, it is important to make sure you know the safety procedures when using a ladder both in and outdoors. Prepping and assessing the area is a great place to start and making sure the ladder is in a good condition, free from any damage that could pose a risk.

As part of the Ladder Association’s 12 Days Of Ladder Safety guide, it’s recommended to also carry out pre-use ladder checks as well as clearing the area. You can refer to our handy ladder inspection checklist to see what you should look for, but in summary:

• Check that the stiles and legs are not warped or bent
• That no rungs and fixings are loose, missing or corroded
• The feet are not too worn and clear of debris

Your ladder as a whole is free of grease, clutter and paint or oil. 

Jamie stresses that planning and preparation is key:

“Planning is everything. We are always asked, 'What do you do for the rest of the year?' The answer is a lot! After taking down six weeks of installations in two weeks in January, we have a very short break. Then we are back in the warehouse sorting stock and preparing for the next year. Soon after, new inquiries start coming in, leading to site visits, customer meetings, and proposals to write. 

“Part of surveying the site is to identify where we will get power from, how it’ll be distributed, and access points for installing all the decorations. We know all the job details before we leave the warehouse at Christmas to be fully prepared, safe, and ready to delight our customers.”

Although home decorating does not require months of prepping and assessing, it just goes to show how important those steps are before going ahead and doing the job.

And, when stepping onto a ladder, it’s crucial to lean into it for stability and avoid leaning back. Ensure that the ladder’s height is appropriate for the task to prevent overreaching or crouching.

2. Santa has help from his elves

Where possible, have a friend or family member around to keep an eye on any potential hazards or risks and to assist with putting up decorations.

Jamie says, “It's essential to conduct several health and safety checks before stepping foot on the ladder to ensure the safety of the user and others around. We always check the ladder's condition to ensure it’s free from dirt and debris, that the mechanisms and locks are working, and that all relevant safety labelling is clear and followed. Working in pairs when using ladders is common sense. As we decorate trees, we are up and down by the minute with various tools and decorations, so the extra pair of hands is invaluable. It’s also the right thing to ensure maximum safety for our installers.”

3. Using a ladder on ice in the winter

While the UK isn’t exactly known for its white Christmas-es, the ground can still freeze and form icy patches. And it's not just ice - wet, sopping leaves, heavy rain and mud can all pose a risk. 

Putting up a ladder in snow or icy conditions is not advisable. Make sure you’re checking the weather forecast before you head up a ladder. As a professional Christmas Decorator, Jamie is no stranger to working in hazardous conditions, he says:

"The conditions we work in present numerous challenges. We work in rain, snow, ice, and quite often on grass to light up trees. All our staff are well trained and very experienced. If, after they conduct a safety assessment, the conditions are not safe, we will rearrange with the client to return on another date.” 

You can take precautions for when the weather starts to brighten up and these slippery conditions subside, such as using a ladder designed for soft and sinking terrain. The clawed feet of our tripods grip the ground and ensure your working surface stays stable and even. For hard outdoor surfaces, you can also use our rubber feet for extra stability, providing that comfortable balance you need to work safely at height. 

You can read more about using a ladder in winter in our gardening guide. 

4. Work with green fingers, not blue hands

We want to make our gardens look beautiful all year round - and at Christmas, this is taken that extra step further. Our perfectly trimmed hedges are wrapped in coloured lights, trees are trimmed for ivy and holly, and the staple gun comes out as we hang wreaths, baubles and pictures on fences or attaching inflatables to walls.

With the cold weather coming on, keeping your hands warm and protected has never been more important. The colder your hands become, the more numb they’re likely to be, so you may find it harder to grip onto ladder rungs, hold tools safely and carry heavier objects. 

Our gardening gloves are warm and snug, and durable enough to tackle all kinds of tasks. The wrist strap and reinforced stitching ensure a tight grip, so you don’t need to worry about your hand slipping within your gloves. Your fingers are protected from prickly holly, twigs and pine trees, and you can hang them up to dry using the carabiner. Perfect for all year round, but particularly handy at Christmas. See our gloves here. 

What ladder should I be using?

There are many types of standard ladders on the market, but when putting up decorations in those hard-to-reach places, it is important to have a ladder built for durability and stability.

Our Henchman Tripod Ladders are built with a platform to allow you to work hands-free to focus on hanging decorations. With independently adjustable legs, our Tripod Ladders can be used outside on uneven ground. As with all Henchman ladders, stability and uncompromised safety are top priorities.

Tri-rrific features of our Tripod Ladders

One of the standout features of our Tripod Ladders is the fully adjustable legs, allowing users to easily adjust the legs to accommodate varying slopes and steps. With smaller adjustment intervals, users can always maintain the perfect level.

Unlike traditional ladders with thin, curved feet that sink into the soft ground, making them unlevel and unstable. Our Tripod ladders are designed with wide, clawed feet that have a larger surface area that distributes weight evenly, preventing sinking and minimising slippage in wintery conditions.

Henchman Tripod Ladders come in a range of sizes from 5ft to 16ft, so no task will be out of reach! The taller ladders are perfect for outside jobs, such as reaching the second floor to hang ice-type lights and the smaller ones are ideal for inside jobs like putting the star on top of the tree!

The Christmas Decorators are fans of our ladders, using them to create magical displays at customers’ homes: 

“Our Henchman PRO Fully Adjustable Tripod Ladders are vital for decorating the awkward shapes of fresh and artificial Christmas trees indoors and outdoors. They are lightweight for easy transportation, very sturdy, and comfortable to work on for prolonged periods. The tripod ladders allow you to reach places you couldn’t with standard ladders. If you think of the conical shape of a Christmas tree, the tripod ladder fits closely to ensure safety and prevent overreaching, especially at the top of the tree. The tripod adjustable legs allow for perfect positioning.”

Here are our ladder safety tips for  Christmas:

Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year - no one wants to spend it with a broken leg. By following our Christmas ladder safety tips, you can create festive displays that will wow family and friends, all without compromising on safety. 

Just remember to:

• Lean into the ladder when stepping up.
• Always maintain three points of contact with the ladder. 
• Mount and dismount the ladder facing the rungs. 
• Do not place the ladder on movable objects such as pallets or tables. 
• Adhere to weight restrictions specified on the ladder. 
• Extending or moving ladders should only be done when the ladder is not in use. 
• When using indoors or on hard surfaces, use the rubber feet to prevent slipping. 
• Make sure your ladder is level before stepping up. 

Staying safe this Christmas

Jamie and The Christmas Decorators team are experts at creating magical trees, light displays and whimsical grottos - and with the right equipment, you can do the same. 

To help you stay safe when working at height, check out our full ladder safety guide. Explore our full range of Tripod Ladders here and if you’re looking for some Christmas inspiration, head over to our Pinterest.