Familiarity may breed contempt, but when it comes to ladders, it’s more a case of familiarity breeding carelessness. Ladders are such everyday pieces of equipment that people tend to forget how dangerous using them can be.
Figures provided by Patrick McAuliffe, vice president of the American Ladder Institute (ALI), illustrate the risks ladders pose. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, the organization’s mission is promoting safe ladder use by producing and sharing safety materials and through its ladder safety training certificate program (laddersafetytraining.org). The not-for-profit also is the developer of ANSI-approved (American National Standards Institute) A14 ladder safety standards.
“Ladder-related injuries make up a significant percentage of workplace injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of fall injuries in the workplace involve ladders,” he says, adding that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics places deaths from ladder falls at 175 annually, making them the leading cause of workplace fatalities.
Injuries range from minor to severe, including head and spinal-cord injuries and electrocution, McAuliffe says. Additionally, business owners can face liability and financial consequences, particularly if violations of Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) standards around ladders and ladder safety were contributing factors.
And yet, says event project manager Melynda Norman-Lee of J J L Events Inc., people routinely take ladders—and ladder safety—for granted. Located in the Toronto area of Ontario, Canada, the company specializes in outdoor events, primarily involving tents and awnings but also supplying everything the project requires. Due to the nature of her business, Norman-Lee has either witnessed or heard of all types of ladder misuse, including:
- Leaning too far to the right or left of the ladder to avoid having to climb down and move it
- Using the very top of the ladder as a step
- Leaving tools on top of the ladder that can fall and injure someone or damage property when the ladder is moved
- Trying to climb up the ladder with tools/equipment either in one hand or in pockets
In his early days doing construction, Eli Tirado, tenting manager for South Jersey Party Rentals (SJPR) of Pennsauken, N.J, says he likely committed most of the aforementioned offenses.
“I was one of the younger guys who would break every rule on ladder safety and learned the hard way,” he says. “I would stand on the top rung of ladders etc. An LCL and MCL injury later, I learned I should pay more attention to why I shouldn’t do certain things on a ladder.”
A top priority
Tirado finds that ladder safety is not a focus for many companies, especially those whose workers haven’t yet experienced a mishap. They tend to just “push safety to the side,” he says. But at SJPR, it’s a top priority.
The full-service tent and event rental company’s projects range from small homeowner parties to huge festivals. During the average workday, 90% of the staff uses ladders at some point. Inventory includes 26 ladders of various heights, along with 23-foot extension ladders.
One important safety measure SJPR has implemented is weekly scheduled maintenance; its “red tag” system is another.
“If a crew member notices an issue with a ladder, it’s red tagged by that crew member,” Tirado explains. “A message is then sent to a supervisor, along with a photo of the red tag and damage/complaint about the ladder. That takes our ladder out of circulation so that no injuries occur.”
The company also “enforces” use of personal protective equipment for every tent install, regardless of size. It insists on a buddy system whenever someone has to climb a ladder higher than 6 feet and tie-offs are required for extension ladders. Ladder training is conducted at the same time as the annual tent training. Because so much information is given at one time, SJPR provides a reference page for all installers via a portal created in Microsoft Teams.
As for fall protection, this isn’t required when climbing or working on portable ladders, says McAuliffe.
However, having someone hold the bottom of the ladder while it’s being climbed (no matter the size) and/or tying it off to a firm surface whenever possible while climbing or working is an ALI-recommended best practice since this can help prevent slippage and movement.
“Although there are no rules in place for use of a ladder in high wind conditions, caution should be used to ensure the ladder and employee are safe and secure during use in all weather conditions,” McAuliffe says.
Changing the mindset
Norman-Lee says most of her team use ladders during the course of their work. Ranging from stepladders to those reaching 35 feet, they are inspected upon use and fixed or replaced as needed. “It’s often better to replace rather than try to repair a broken ladder,” she says. Dubbed “ladder awareness,” team members are trained to do a quick check and review when taking a ladder out of the truck and putting it back in.
Brett Latimer, director of Quality, Systems and Compliance for Werner Co., believes safety checks should be conducted before each use, with more thorough inspections happening monthly. Werner, headquartered in Itasca, Ill., manufactures a comprehensive line of climbing products, primarily serving professionals in the construction and trade industries as well as DIY/home users. (In addition to serving as the vice president of ALI, McAuliffe is also vice president of engineering for Werner.)
Latimer and McAuliffe say this inspection should confirm the following:
- Ladder rungs are undamaged and there are no bent, loose, cracked or missing rungs.
- Side rails are free of bends or cracks.
- Ladder feet are intact and provide the proper grip.
- Safety labels and load capacity are clearly visible and intact.
- There is no dirt, oil or debris on the ladder that could cause slippage.
Latimer also advises conducting regular ladder safety training, suggesting this could be in the form of short, 10-minute sessions held monthly or at least quarterly. OSHA requires annual training, but for “optimal safety,” Latimer favors greater frequency.
Each March, in collaboration with ALI’s efforts to raise national ladder awareness, Werner offers various training products, also providing in-person and online options, including the company’s new Ladder Safety 101 e-learning course. Additional resources include safety training videos and a ladder inspection form/checklist, along with information about March Ladder Safety Month. ALI offers a free ladder safety training program focused on the proper selection, care and safe use of different types of ladders—including single ladders, extension and telescoping ladders, articulated and mobile ladders—covering safe ladder practices for all applications.
It can be challenging for companies to combat the “we’ve always done it this way and no one has ever been hurt” mentality when it comes to complying with safety requirements, says Norman-Lee.
“But one slip, one trip, one fall—we’re trying to avoid that ‘one time,’” she says. “Ladder safety starts with the boss or crew lead. New employees look to the leader to show them how things are done. If a new employee learns what is safe from the beginning, hopefully they won’t fall into the same poor habits that other people ‘have always done.’”
Making safety work
Developing a workplace safety program can feel overwhelming, but knowing some essential program components can help kick off the effort or serve as a checklist for existing programs. Consultant, author and expert Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety Inc. in Houston, Texas, says done correctly, a safety program can foster a collective culture of safety and well-being. The firm helps organizations transform their performances and cultures by focusing on safety excellence among other operational aspects.
“Strong leadership is crucial,” says Galloway. “Management must prioritize safety and actively engage employees in safety initiatives, possibly through safety committees that encourage collaboration.”
Along with management and employee involvement, a partial list of what Galloway says a program should incorporate includes:
- Identifying/addressing hazards: conduct regular inspections and assessments that continually evaluate risks, implementing measures to eliminate or control them
- Training and education: ongoing training targeted to specific roles and educating employees about the risks/hazards, safe practices and relevant regulations
- Documentation of training, incidents and inspections to track compliance and progress
- Investigation of incidents and near misses to uncover root causes and prevent these from occurring in the future
- Recognition programs celebrating individuals and/or teams demonstrating strong safety practices
- Empowering communication/feedback: share information to help promote a proactive safety culture where employees are not afraid to speak up
Don’t overlook the importance of establishing safety protocols for vendors and other contractors; doing so is essential for a comprehensive safety program, as is verifying their adherence to safety standards, says Galloway.
Implementing a safety program is one thing, but getting employees to embrace it is another. Tirado faced this challenge, deciding in 2022 to hire a safety and compliance officer tasked with overseeing every facet of compliance throughout the company’s operations.
“His sole purpose is keeping everyone moving safely and efficiently,” Tirado says. “He monitors driver, warehouse and installer safety. Since hiring a compliance officer, our times on the job are better, there are fewer injuries due to negligence and driver safety has hit a new high.”
Another strategy for improving compliance is encouraging employees to take a strong role in the safety effort, resulting in greater ownership, says Galloway. Constant communication about day-to-day experiences keeps the program front and center, as does making successes visible.
“There must also be ongoing training and feedback loops,” he adds. “And finally, recognition of individual or team effort that goes above and beyond. All of this can ultimately lead to a culture of ‘want to’ vs. ‘have to.’”
Give employees the information and education they need to stay safe and compliant with the guidelines/standards, says Tirado. “And don’t try to save money at the expense of your crew,” he cautions. “Buy the right equipment. Subrent what you can’t. The safety of the guys who are out doing the hard jobs is at the top of our radar.”
Pamela Mills–Senn is a freelance writer based in Seal Beach, Calif.
Workplace safety programs aren’t a one-and-done proposition. To remain relevant and effective, they must be evaluated regularly to ensure the programs are still meeting the organization’s needs, says Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety Inc., a Houston, Texas, consulting firm. The objective of such a review is to determine if the program has improved the ability to prevent accidents from happening and if it provides a way to respond if an incident does occur or things don’t go as planned. Additionally, it should explore whether or not program stakeholders see its value.
Ideally, this evaluation would take a multifaceted approach, Galloway says.
“It should identify areas where the organization meets the needs and adheres to regulatory requirements and industry standards, determining if they are available, usable and understood by the leaders, workers and contractors,” he explains. “This leads to the importance of employee and leadership feedback, which can be gained through surveys and interviews.”
Additionally, companies should “analyze incidents, injuries, near misses and deviations from expectations to identify patterns or common contributing factors,” Galloway says. Measure these against what is in the current program to uncover any hazard/risk mitigation gaps that are undermining effectiveness.
Galloway also recommends establishing safety metrics/KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to measure and assess the program’s effectiveness and to drive continuous improvement. This objective “should be at the heart of the overall company safety program,” says Galloway, adding that its absence is a reason many such programs fail.
Assess the level of leadership commitment and support and if it is actively contributing to a safety culture, demonstrating the necessary behaviors and actions in alignment with the program. Conduct a “safety IQ” of employees and leaders to identify their understanding of the program and its elements/requirements.
“Companies should perform regular audits, observations and inspections to identify hazards and risks and any potential new or emerging issues in the workplace, and whether corrective actions from previous audits or visits have been successfully completed,” Galloway says. “And determine if the actions accomplished the objectives or not.”
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