A fall from a ladder at work: what must you do as an employer?

First the person, then the paperwork

Call 112 for serious injuries. Do not move someone with a possible neck or back injury unless the spot itself is dangerous. Cordon off the area. Then leave the ladder and the set-up as they were as far as possible, and photograph the ladder, the feet, the ground and the point it rested against. That is later the most important evidence, for the inspectorate and for yourself.

The Netherlands: report immediately

Article 9 of the Dutch Working Conditions Act requires the employer to report a work accident immediately if it leads to:

• death,
• permanent injury, or
• hospital admission.

Hospital admission is broader than you might think: according to the Labour Authority, a day admission of a few hours also counts, for example for a procedure by a surgeon. If it only turns out later to be more serious, you report it as soon as you know.

You report to the Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie), by phone on 0800 5151 (free) or with the form on nlarbeidsinspectie.nl. For a fatal accident you call straight away. If you are unsure whether you have to report, report it: that is also the inspectorate's own advice. Not reporting breaches the Working Conditions Act and can lead to a substantial fine.

You also keep a list of all reported accidents and of accidents with more than three working days of absence, with their nature and date.

What happens next

Since 1 January 2023 the Labour Authority's starting point is that the employer carries out the accident investigation and submits a report and an improvement plan. After some time there is often an inspection to see whether the measures are really in place.

For a fall from a ladder, such an investigation turns on questions like: was a ladder the right equipment here, was it set up and secured properly, was it inspected, and had the worker been instructed? So keep your inspections and instructions on record. See also ladder inspection: what the law asks and ladder, mobile scaffold or aerial platform.

Belgium: report, investigate, notify

In Belgium three things run side by side.

1. Report immediately to the inspectorate if the accident is fatal, or if a fall from height causes permanent injury. This goes to the Supervision of Well-being at Work (article I.6-3 of the Code). Falls of persons from height are explicitly on the list of events that make an accident serious. Contact details for the regional offices are on werk.belgie.be.
2. Investigation by your prevention service for a serious work accident, with a detailed report to the inspectorate within ten days.
3. Notify your work accident insurer within 8 days, counted from the day after the accident. According to Fedris, not notifying or notifying late can lead to criminal prosecution.

Who pays, and why the employer is not off the hook, is in our article on the Belgian Code.

After the accident: three questions

• Was a ladder the right equipment for this work?
• Was it stable, and was the top secured?
• Was it inspected and checked before use?

The answers to those three questions are your improvement plan. The thirty-second ladder check helps with the last one.

Video: Incident investigation, carpenter falls off ladder (WorkSafeBC)

Frequently asked questions

Must I always report a fall from a ladder?

In the Netherlands, if it leads to hospital admission, permanent injury or death. Without those consequences you do not have to report it, but if someone is absent for more than three working days, you do put the accident on your list.

How fast must I report?

In the Netherlands immediately. In Belgium a fatal accident or a fall from height with permanent injury immediately to the inspectorate, the detailed report within ten days, and the notification to the insurer within 8 days.

What happens if I do not report?

In the Netherlands you breach the Working Conditions Act and risk a substantial fine. In Belgium, not notifying a work accident, or notifying it late, can lead to criminal prosecution.

What do I do with the ladder?

Do not throw it away or repair it before the investigation is finished. The condition of the ladder is one of the first things that gets looked at.

Sources

• Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), article 9
• Netherlands Labour Authority: reporting a work accident (Dutch)
• Netherlands Labour Authority: new approach to work accidents (Dutch)
• FPS Employment: serious work accidents (Code, Book I, Title 6, Dutch)
• Fedris: notifying a work accident (Dutch)

This article is a practical explanation, not legal advice. Sources checked on 24 September 2026.