The Association said the winning submission by former Ladder Council member, John Bungay, displays incredibly dangerous ladder use.

The competition runs alongside the Ladder Exchange campaign which encourages users of old or broken ladders to trade them in for new ones, at a discount, at member companies across the UK.

Marketing and communications officer, Gary Chudleigh, said: “This year’s winning entry, as in previous years, only serves to reinforce the need for continuous education and training in the work at height sector.”

First launched in 2007 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the annual Ladder Exchange is now run and managed by the Ladder Association.

Ladder Association chairman, Martin Brooke, said: “One of the most effective safety campaigns ever to be introduced in the work at height sector, the Ladder Exchange works on so many levels.

“First, it focuses attention on an indispensable piece of workplace equipment that is generally taken for granted and often overlooked when it comes to routine inspection and maintenance.

“Second, it prompts ladder users to check and examine their stock for damage and wear and tear as required by the Work at Height Regulations.

“Third, it provides a financial incentive to replace these faulty ladders with new ones, and, at the same time, removes them permanently from the workplace.

“Fourth, and most importantly, it reduces the risk of someone falling from a ladder because it’s unsafe and potentially dangerous.”

He added: “The Ladder Exchange is a great example of how everyone can work together – regulator, trade body, its member organisations, industry and the public at large – to help keep people safe. That’s why thousands of ladders have been successfully exchanged since the campaign began.”