Get a Leg Up on Ladder Safety

Ladders are a seemingly simple tool to use - set them up and start climbing. However, there are several opportunities for slips, falls and injuries if they aren’t used properly. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that more than 100,000 people are treated for injuries resulting from falling off a ladder and more than 300 annual fatalities occur from ladder-related injuries. With these alarming statistics, you should brush up on ladder safety protocol to help protect yourself from injury or death.

Whether you are climbing onto your flatbed or into your trailer, reaching for inventory in a warehouse, loading or unloading cargo, or performing maintenance duties, you need to know that not every ladder is right for every job. Consider what type of ladder is needed, how heavy your load is and how high you must reach. Every ladder has a duty rating, or maximum weight it can safely support. This includes your weight as well as what you are lifting. Exceeding capacity can cause a collapse, resulting in serious injury.

Inspect ladders before climbing. Check for hazards such as loose steps and rungs, nails or other parts, broken uprights, damaged or worn nonslip bases, and carefully examine the general stability. Grease, dirt and other contaminants can build up and cause slips and falls so ladders should periodically be cleaned. If a ladder is broken, clearly mark it as out of service or destroy it to prevent others from using it.

Ladders should always be placed on level ground. If the ladder is at all unsteady, don’t attempt to climb it. To prevent sliding, the American National Standards Institute recommends setting up portable non-self-supporting ladders at a 75.5 degree angle. If the angle is bigger than that, the ladder can tip backward. If it’s smaller, the ladder may break or slip.

Just as you do when entering and exiting a truck, always maintain three points of contact while climbing a ladder. Hold onto the side rails and never attempt to take more than one step at a time. Ladders should never be used horizontally as a bridge or scaffolding between two points. Most are designed to be used vertically. Because of weight distribution, it’s very dangerous to try any other position.

Never overextend to the point where your center of gravity is above the highest rung or outside of the side rails. This will cause you to lose your balance and potentially fall. Rather than reach too far to one side or climb higher than the top rung, reposition the ladder or use one that is taller. Some new ladders have marks indicating the highest step that is safe to use. If not marked, maintain your center of gravity below the highest rung and never use the highest rung or top of the ladder as a standing surface since there is nothing there to support you. 

In no circumstance should multiple ladders be tied or fastened together to reach higher locations. Climbing ladders that are tied together is incredibly dangerous. If you have to reach a location that is higher than the ladder you have on hand, use a hydraulic lift that is OSHA-compliant for standing. Never place a ladder on a hydraulic lift to extend the height.

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