ladder safety

ladder accident prevention, fall protection

What causes ladder accidents?

Mistakes like improper set up, standing on the top step, or accessing a roof with a stepladder

April 3, 2019

Even though ladders have been around for most of recorded history, they haven't changed much in function and design since their primitive origins. This simple design is so practical almost everyone uses it; on the other hand, it is so basic it is also easy to misuse and can be dangerous.

Anatomy of a workplace fall

February 12, 2019

Moving a ladder while a co-worker remained on the ladder platform led to a fall that – six months later – proved fatal, according to a Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) reportfrom NIOSH. The incident occurred on December 12, 2015, when two men employed by a municipality were dusting crown molding in a meeting room inside city hall. The 68-year-old victim had finished dusting a section of molding and the ladder needed to be moved to continue the task.

OSHA’s ladders standard for construction

2019 top standards- OSHA Most Frequently Violated Standards

OSHA ladders standard

Ladders (1926.1053)

January 4, 2019

Factors contributing to falls from ladders include haste, sudden movement, lack of attention, the condition of the ladder (worn or damaged), the user's age or physical condition, or both, and the user's footwear.

Complying with OSHA’s walking-working surface standard

Fall protection beyond construction

Karen Hamel

October 15, 2018

When OSHA revised the walking-working surface standard in 2016, part of the goal was to make the general industry standard more consistent with existing construction standards.

Let’s take a different approach to ladder safety

Protection vs. prevention

David Francis

July 20, 2018

Every day 2,000 people are injured in a ladder-related accident. One hundred of those people suffer a long-term or permanent disability. And every day, one person dies; the numbers are continuing to rise.

Fixed ladder safety: What to know before OSHA 2018 deadline

Don’t fall behind

Anne Osbourn

June 18, 2018

If you could prevent 29 worker deaths and 5,842 lost-workday injuries each year1, would you? Those estimates were a major reason OSHA updated 1971’s General Industry CFR 1910 regulations for Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems at the end of 2016.

Choose and use the right portable ladder for the job

Take the Best Steps

Karen Hamel

June 8, 2018

Because using a ladder is such a familiar skill, it can be easy to overlook the need for safe operating procedures in the workplace. However, ladders continue to be a contributing factor in more than 150 fatalities and 20,000 non-fatal workplace injuries each year.

Use three-point control for climbing ladders

March 8, 2018

When it comes to ladder safety, there’s a difference between three-point control and the traditional three-point contact rule. Three-point control is a climbing method that involves always using three or four limbs distributed over three or four locations for reliable support. Three-point contact involves simply coming into contact with the ladder at three points without necessarily requiring a reliable hand grip for support.

Climbing fixed ladders: OSHA and ANSI standards’ best practices

December 4, 2017

Falling from height is one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and death. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics documents nearly 750 fall-related fatalities a year and another 300,000 nonfatal falls. More surprising than even that? Every single fall is 100-percent preventable.

OSHA IDs Top 10 violations for 2017

September 26, 2017

While OSHA’s Top 10 list of most frequently cited workplace safety violations is usually filled with familiar violations names, this year’s rundown contains a newcomer: Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503).