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SAFETY TOPICS

Employee Ladder Safety

Did you know, each year in the U.S., there are more than 310 construction worker fatalities due to fall from heights?1 The estimated annual cost of ladder injuries in the U.S. is $24 billion, including work loss, medical, legal, liability, and pain and suffering expenses.2 Employees need to know the ins and outs of ladder safety, whether they use ladders in their day-to-day activities, or only use them to change a lightbulb. Anytime an employee is on a ladder, they are at risk of injury if they are not following safety protocols. These hazards can be eliminated or substantially reduced with the implementation of ladder safety practices.

Ladder safety do's

When using ladders on the job, make sure employees follow these precautions to help prevent injuries:3

  • Maintain a three-point contact (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) at all times
  • Face the ladder when climbing up or down
  • Keep the body inside the side rails
  • Use extra care when getting on or off the ladder at the top or bottom
  • Carry tools in a tool belt or raise tools up using a hand line. Never carry tools in your hands while climbing up/down a ladder
  • Extend the top of the ladder three feet above the landing
  • Keep ladders free of any slippery materials
  • Only one person on a ladder at a time

Ladder safety don'ts

Workers should avoid doing any of the following when using ladders in the workplace:3

  • Using a ladder if you are impaired by alcohol, drugs, medication or illness
  • Placing a ladder on boxes, barrels, or unstable bases
  • Placing a ladder on soft ground or unstable footing
  • Exceeding the ladder’s maximum load rating
  • Tying two ladders together to make them longer
  • Ignoring nearby overhead power lines
  • Moving or shifting a ladder with a person or equipment on the ladder
  • Leaning out beyond the ladder’s side rails
  • Using an extension ladder horizontally like a platform
  • Tipping the ladder over sideways or causing the ladder base to slide out

How to choose the right ladder

 One of the most common mistakes made when using a ladder is choosing the wrong ladder for the job. It’s important to consider the following three points the next time you are using a ladder:4
  • Take into account your work environment when choosing your ladder:
    • If you’re working near sources of electricity, do not use a metal ladder. The environment will help you determine the type of ladder you need for the task — self-supporting stepladder or non-self-supporting single or extension ladder.
  • Consider the length of ladder you need:
    • It is unsafe to use a ladder that is too long or too short. When using an extension ladder, the top three rungs are not to be used for climbing. An extension ladder is too long if it extends more than three feet beyond the upper support point.
  • Pay attention to the duty rating of your ladder:
    • The duty rating is the total amount of weight your ladder will support. A taller ladder does not necessarily mean it will support more weight.

Online safety training videos

Our policyholders and agents have access to an extensive library of safety training videos. Access training videos here. Type Ladder Safety in the search bar for the available videos. Policyholders and agents can request login credentials by emailing [email protected]. (Videos provided through JER HR Group LLC, dba Training Network, a Summit vendor.) 

If you would like additional resources, please contact your Summit loss prevention consultant.

Footnotes

  1. National Inst. for Occup. Safety & Health (NIOSH). Prevent Construction Falls from Roofs, Ladders, and Scaffolds, Centers for Disease Control & Prev. (CDC), www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2019-128updated052019/pdfs/2019-128updated052019.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019128updated052019 (Accessed Mar. 14, 2022).
  2. “It’s National Ladder Safety Month.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Serv., Updated June 28, 2001, blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2017/03/13/ladder-safety-month/  (Accessed Mar. 14, 2022).
  3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Reducing Falls in Construction: Safe Use of Extension Ladders, U.S. Dept of Labor, www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA (Accessed Mar. 14, 2022).
  4. National Ladder Safety Month. CHOOSING YOUR LADDER, March 2022, laddersafetymonth.com/Portals/0/2022/Choosing%20Your%20Ladder.pdf?ver=L-iD552wuzjgWynEVUXrMA%3d%3d (Accessed Mar. 14, 2022).

Disclaimer

The information presented in this publication is intended to provide guidance and is not intended as a legal interpretation of any federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations applicable to your business. The loss prevention information provided is intended only to assist policyholders of Summit managed insurers in the management of potential loss producing conditions involving their premises and/or operations based on generally accepted safe practices. In providing such information, Summit Consulting LLC does not warrant that all potential hazards or conditions have been evaluated or can be controlled. It is not intended as an offer to write insurance for such conditions or exposures. The liability of Summit Consulting LLC and its managed insurers is limited to the terms, limits and conditions of the insurance policies underwritten by any of them.