Ladder related accidents claim over 100 lives every year, with many, many more suffering serious injury. Better training and awareness is the key to reducing the amount of these very preventable accidents.
Every March for the last five years, the American Ladder Institute (ALI) has been leading the way with National Ladder Safety Month.
The goal of the month is based around six key points:
- Decrease number of ladder-related injuries and fatalities
- Increase the number of ladder safety training certificates issued by ALI
- Increase the frequency that ladder safety training modules are viewed on www.laddersafetytraining.org
- Lower the rankings of ladder-related safety citations on OSHA’s yearly “Top 10 Citations List”
- Increase the number of in-person ladder trainings
- Increase the number of companies and individuals that inspect and properly dispose of old, damaged or obsolete ladders
Ladder accidents, whether they’re at home or on a job site, are preventable and some basic awareness is all it takes to keep you and anyone working for you from adding to the already too high number of injuries and fatalities that take place.
For commercial and industrial use, training courses such as Competent Person Fall Protection Training (EM 385 Training) go into great detail about not just working at elevated heights, but specifically providing an overview of fall protection use and requirements on ladders, stairways, and scaffolding systems. This training is intended for those in a leadership position who must also serve as the competent person and supervise other contractors and employees working at an elevated level.
However, the accidents that occur from ladders aren’t only on jobsites. Residential/personal use cases require diligent safety procedures, from painting high walls and ceilings to cleaning gutters and accessing a roof. The American Ladder Institute has put together a number of helpful videos and infographics for home use that can keep you safe.
It is ultimately up to the user to keep themselves safe while using a ladder of any height. It’s our hope that with commercial and residential resources promoted throughout the month of March, the amount of accidents that happen on ladders is reduced.
Always Remember:
