ABSTRACT
When properly used ladders are one of the most useful tools available to workers. Improper uses, including the following, can result in injuries, falls, and deaths:
. Ladders placed on unstable surfaces
. Personnel reaching too far out to the sides (overreaching)
. Personnel standing too high on the ladder to maintain balance
. Defective or broken ladders (e.g., broken rails or rungs and missing hardware)
. Ladders that were not secured or braced
. Personnel carrying loads while ascending and descending
. Selecting the wrong ladder for the job (Figure 16.1)
. Improper position on the ladder
. Adverse weather such as strong winds, rain, ice, or snow
. Using a ladder to work on electrical conductors or power lines
This type of improper use of ladders results in an estimated 19,000 injuries and 24 fatalities per year according toOccupational Safety andHealthAdministration (OSHA). Falls or slips account for 80%of accidents and almost half fell at least 8 ft.While falling, 50% held on to other objects while 66% were not trained on how to inspect ladders and 73% were not instructed on the safe use of ladders. In 73% of accidents, the ladders involved were extension or straight ladders and in 20% they were step ladders.
