fbpx

March is National Ladder Safety Month

Ladder Safety at Work

Do you know how much ladder accidents are costing you?

  • $17.1 billion spent on workplace falls from working at heights.
  • Falls are in the top 3 most common disabling workplace injury.
  • Ladders are # 6 on OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations list.
  • 500,000+ people treated each year for ladder-related falls (personal and occupational).
  • 300+ deaths from ladder falls each year (personal and occupational).

Whether you’re using a ladder at home or at work, these numbers affect YOU.
2 most common ladder accidents include:

  1. Missing the last step when climbing down
  2. Overreaching

Don’t fall victim to common mistakes.
Make sure you know the dos and don’ts of ladder safety:

  • “My weight hasn’t changed in years:
    I don’t need to worry about the ladder’s weight rating.”

    • Weight rating is the combined weight of the climber and whatever the climber is carrying. Do not forget to account for equipment or accessories when selecting a ladder with the proper weight rating.
  • “I have some heavy items that I’ll be carrying as I climb this ladder. Let me get a taller one to carry the load.”
    • Don’t forget! A taller ladder does NOT equate to a higher weight rating. To ensure that you are using the right ladder for the job, make sure that you take into account the Duty Rating for your ladder. The Duty Rating is the total amount of weight your ladder will support.
      Here is the simple calculation for determining the Duty Rating needed for the job at hand:

      • Your weight, plus the weight of your clothing, protective equipment, and the weight of tools and supplies being used.
  • “I don’t work at high heights; I don’t need to worry about ladder and fall safety.”
    • Most often, ladder injures are caused by people using them incorrectly. 75.7% of survey participants felt that ladder accidents in their workplace could have been avoided with ladder safety training.

https://laddersafetymonth.com/

Download a PDF of this Toolbox Talks in English

Download a PDF of this Toolbox Talks in Spanish