Supervisor Safety Tip - Ladder Safety
This course covers the hazards and safety practices involved with the use of ladders in the workplace
Ladders are used in many jobs for cleaning, painting, changing light bulbs, accessing storage areas, reaching platforms, and more. Because going up and down a ladder all day can cause fatigue, when performing these tasks workers will naturally want to maximize the effort they’ve spent to climb the ladder and will occasionally stretch themselves or their tools to accomplish little jobs a little faster, which is when an inherently risky situation may become even more dangerous.
Safety hazards associated with ladder use include slips and falls, tip-overs, electric shocks, failure due to defects and damage, and failure from overloading. Examples of improper safety include using one that is too short, using the wrong type of ladder, not using a ladder when one should be used, reaching too far to the side, and using not as intended
Overloaded can break or collapse, sending workers and materials tumbling onto floors or other workers. Even if used properly, if the ladder is defective in some way there’s always the possibility of a fall injury. Always examine tools for defects before using them.
The goal of this lesson is to provide awareness-level instruction on ladder hazards, safe use requirements, and best practices for all employees.
