Five common causes of ladder incidents

To stay safe on job sites, it is crucial contractors and workers know the common causes of ladder incidents and how to prevent them.

ConstructionNext shares the following five most common causes of ladder incidents.

1. Missing the last step of the ladder when climbing down. During a recent American Ladder Institute webinar, Eric Blankinship, senior product manager for Werner, emphasized the need to be careful when climbing down a ladder—always face the ladder when climbing up or down and do not skip steps.
2. Overreaching while on the ladder. When working on a ladder, keep your center of gravity and body between the side rails. If you cannot easily reach the project area once you have climbed the ladder, climb down and move the ladder closer to the project space.
3. The ladder was not the right size for the job. One factor when determining the right ladder for the job is length. Blankinship recommended calculating the user’s maximum reach height—which is about four feet higher than the height of the ladder—when selecting a ladder.
4. The ladder was not on firm, level ground. There should be no obstructions near the base and top of the ladder. The ladder’s base should be safely secured to prevent movement, or you can use a ladder with nonslip feet or add outriggers or levelers to the bottom of an extension ladder to increase the footprint. When using an extension ladder outside, Blankinship emphasized ensuring you have used the toe picks correctly; confirming the ladder is sunk into solid ground; and stepping on the bottom rung to verify it is secure before you climb the ladder.
5. Three points of contact were not used when climbing the ladder. It is crucial to always maintain contact with two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand when climbing up or down a ladder to ensure you remain balanced.

Check out NRCA’s webinar recording regarding ladder safety and visit NRCA’s safety webpage for additional safety resources. Ladder safety resources also are available at LadderSafetyTraining.org, an American Ladder Institute website.