ASA Adjudication on Easylife Group Ltd

Ad

A catalogue ad included an image of a man, who was up a ladder working on a roof; text stated “ … designed with safety in mind ... Comes complete with double-wide extenders with rubber feet … to give added stability and safety … ”.

Issue

The complainant challenged whether the ad could condone or encourage unsafe practices, because the man in the image was working at roof height, however the base of the ladder was not secured.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

Easylife Group Ltd (Easylife) said they were careful to ensure their products were both safe and used safely. They said the ladder was clearly shown on a concrete floor and was therefore stabilised on completely secure footings; the instructions that came with the product reinforced that the base of the ladder should always be secure and on firm ground. They said the product was a full four-section ladder designed for the use shown in the catalogue; it had a lock hinge and the ad showed that. The ad also showed the man being centred on a secured steel platform that was supplied with the ladder. They submitted a copy of the ladder instructions and a safety certificate.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted the ladder in the image did not appear to have been secured but understood that best practice when using portable ladders meant they should be secured, either at the top or bottom or by another effective arrangement. We were also concerned that the man in the image was working on a small platform without any means to prevent him falling off from either side. We concluded that the ad could condone or encourage unsafe practices.

The ad breached CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Responsible advertising) and 10.1 (Safety).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Easylife to ensure their future marketing material did not condone or encourage unsafe practices.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)