A closer look at NIOSH’s Ladder Safety app for mobile devices
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) first smart phone application (app) aims to improve extension ladder safety. The Ladder Safety app addresses the major causes of ladder falls by placing a number of interactive and easy-to-use graphic-oriented tools into the hands of the ladder users upon demand.
The app features an angle of inclination indicator which uses visual, sound, and vibration signals making it easier for workers and other users to set an extension ladder at the proper angle of approximately 75.5 degrees. The app also includes a “Selection” tool which provides an interactive and easy-to-use procedure to select the minimum required ladder duty-rating corresponding to the user characteristics and task.