By Sarah O’Brien

March is National Ladder Safety month. You’re reading that correctly. Ladder safety is so important that the American Ladder Safety Institute has dedicated this entire month to preaching the good word of ladder accident prevention.

For good reason, too, as nearly 300 people die annually in ladder-related incidents, with thousands more suffering disabling injuries from ladder falls. What’s more alarming is that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that accidents of this type are increasing at a yearly rate of almost 2%!

Ladder falls are often joked about in comedy movies or television shows where a well-meaning character finds themselves in a disastrous (hilarious) circumstance when cleaning the gutters, hanging holiday lights, or patching the roof. Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation comes to mind when we are discussing what not to do when you have a project that requires using a ladder.

The reality is that ladder accidents often cause serious damage that could keep an individual out of work for long periods of time, if not permanently, and sometimes result in death. With falls being the leading accidental cause of “occupational” deaths in the country, and over 40% of those involve ladders, we can see that ladder safety is no joke, and that proper safety training saves lives.

OSHA believes that 100% of these accidents are preventable. Great news, right? So what do we need to know to keep our workers (and ourselves) safe the next time there is a project that requires a ladder?

There are four main types of ladder related missteps:

1. Using the wrong ladder for the job

CLMI Safety Training gives us some easy but thorough guidelines in their training video, “The Tallest Tool in the Toolbox”.

First, we need to treat a ladder as a tool. This seems like common sense, but using the wrong type of ladder for the project at hand is one of the major causes of ladder related falls. You wouldn’t use a Flathead screwdriver when you need a Phillips, so why would you use a step ladder when you need an extension ladder, or a ladder approved to support only 200 pounds when you need one that handles more weight?

But what if you don’t know what you need?

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) gives us an easy guideline for choosing the right ladder for your project. ANSI certification is labelled on the ladder itself, and is organized into types 1-3, with three variations of Type 1 ladders available on the market. These types are based on how much weight the ladder can hold, and you should consider your weight plus the weight of the tools you will be using before choosing.

When in doubt, it’s recommended that you get the most weight-bearing ladder available.

Ladders are also typically made of three different materials; aluminum, fiberglass, and wood. It should go without saying that you should avoid aluminum or wood, and stick to using a fiberglass model if there are electrical hazards in your work space.

2. Using a ladder that is worn, or broken

The “feet” of ladders should be in good condition. On step ladders, the feet should have slip-resistant rubber treads that have not been worn down or broken. For extension ladders, look to make sure that if it has “shoes” they are not broken or missing.

Ensuring that all of the moving and locking pieces on ladders are working is vital. Spreader braces on step ladders, and locks and pullies on extension ladders should all be working. If the ladder is broken or compromised, don’t use it, and mark it as broken or dispose of it to keep others from using it and injuring themselves.

3. Hazardous placement

We’ve all been there. You need to reach something tall, but the surface below is not exactly prime ladder footing, so you haphazardly finagle a way to finish your task, thinking as you descend how seriously you almost broke your neck.

To make sure your ladder doesn’t slip, tip, or fall and take you with it, make sure that the base is level and sturdy. If you’re using a step ladder, all four legs should be solidly on the ground. This bears repeating: all four legs should be solidly on the ground. It’s also important that the floor or ground has been cleared of any potentially slippery contaminants like dirt, grease or water.

If you’re using an extension ladder, have someone hold the base while you’re climbing and using the ladder. If alone, your ladder should have shoes that sit flush with and safely grip the surface of the floor or ground you’re on.

Stick to the 4-1 rule when setting up your extension ladder. The base of your ladder should be 1 foot away from the base of the structure for every 4 feet of your working height. This will angle the ladder safely to prevent tip-overs.

A good tip is the “bounce test.” Step up on the first rung of your ladder and bounce. Does it shift at all? If so, you will want to re-position it.

If your ladder isn’t plumb to the surface you’re working on, you will want to re-position. Can’t tell if it’s plumb? Use the vertical surface you’re leaning the ladder against to tell, and if you don’t have a vertical surface, use a level.

4. Using the ladder incorrectly

You should never use a step ladder when you need an extension ladder, and vice versa. The bases and feet are different, and will not work the same for every project.

Always  position the ladder to face your work – refrain from climbing up and turning around to face your project. This puts you off balance, and can unbalance the ladder and cause a fall.

When you’re climbing the ladder, keep 3 points of contact at all time. This will feel weird at first, but if you remember to climb “hand after hand, foot after foot”, you’ll be moving only one limb at a time and maintain those 3 points of contact.

Increase your stability and balance, especially when pushing, pulling or reaching. A good rule of thumb for reaching is to keep your belt buckle between the two rails of the ladder – if you can’t do that, then you need to re-position the ladder to keep from falling.

Most importantly, don’t climb too high. You should not go above the second step from the top on a step ladder, and fourth from the top on an extension ladder.

Avoid wearing shoes that are dirty or may cause you to slip or trip, and if you need to get tools to the top with you, consider using a tool belt, a hand-line or having someone hand you what you need to work with.

This is by no means a complete lesson on ladder safety. Celebrate National Ladder Safety month and keep your team safe by checking out CLMI Safety Training’s video lesson on ladder safety, available in The BizLibrary Collection.

Watch a 1-minute preview of “The Tallest Tool in the Toolbox” from The BizLibrary Collection:

View the entire video and many others on workplace safety training when you request a demo of The BizLibrary Collection!

Sarah O’Brien researches and writes on a variety of business topics, including workplace dynamics, HR strategies, and training trends and technology.