It was like we were back in school. Recentlyย roofingcontractor.comย gave us a pop quiz on ladder safety. We broke out in a sweat. But there was no getting around the imminent revealing of ignorance. Weโve used laddersย and lived to tell the tale, soย we know what weโre doing, right? Maybe your run of ladder safety was just luck. According to OSHA, there are hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries each year from ladder use. You may literally be taking your life in your hands when getting on and off the thing. Many companiesย also need a fall protection plan to be fully compliant with OSHA. Weโve written about power tool accidents to avoid, wiring safety tips, jobsite safety tips, and now here are 10 ways to avoid ladder injuries.
Follow These Tips to the Ladder
1) Inspect.ย Be sure thereโs no damage, that locking mechanisms are functional, welds or bolts holding stilesย and rungs together are solid, and thereโs no mud or dirt inhibiting non-slip features of the rungs.
2) Beware the extension ladderโs change from 2 rungs deep to 1.ย Descending a ladder is fraught with danger anyway, but when the 2 rung area of the extension ladderโs overlap drops to just a singleย rung width, it can cause instability and a fall. Descend slowly.
3) The ladder should extend 3 feet above a roof.ย This length allows safe engagement and disengagement for project that require getting on the roof. If your ladder barely reaches to the edge of a roofโitโs not tall enough.
4) The ladder must have at least a 4:1 slope.ย A steep ladder is a dangerous ladder that can easily fall backward. For every 4 feet of height, the ladder should be 1 foot from base of the structure. Some modern ladders are even starting to include a built-in level to assure you get the angle correct.
5) Consider a ladder stabilizer.ย Some are designed for use at the bottom while others attach near the top, but both provide extra stability.
Halfway through the 10 ways to avoid ladder injuries
6) Donโt stand above the 4th rung from the top. Donโt be a hero.
7) Load capacity includes everything on the ladder. Body weight, clothing, tools, all contribute to the ladderโs load. Make sure youโre chooseย the rightย ladder type when youโre climbing.
8) Always have at least three points of contact with the ladder.ย With two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot, youโre less likely to be off balance with the three points rule. An elbow is not a point of contact.
9) Consider building temporary rails around the top of a ladder. Make roof jobs with a lot of entry and exit from the ladder safer with temporary rails on the roof. You also want to minimize the amount of climbing by organizing trips to reduce the amount of travel to and from the roof.
10) Your shoulders shouldnโt move outside the ladderโs stiles. Keep your balance by not overreaching.
We hope youโve found useful information in these 10 Ways to Avoid Ladder Injuries.ย If youโre a Pro and you have a ladder safety tips, add themย in the comments belowโor contact us with your own Pro tips. Climb safely!
