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7 Tips For Working Safely With Ladders
7 Tips For Working Safely With Ladders
Working at height can be dangerous or, in the worst case, even deadly. According to
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workers who are six feet or
more above the ground are at high risk for serious injury or death if they fall. Based
on a WHO Report in 2016, falls from height are the second leading cause of
accidental or unintentional injury & deaths worldwide. The study highlighted that
approximately 20% of fall related injuries among construction workers involved a
ladder and half of those accidents were due to people carrying items as they
climbed.
Many people may not consider ladder safety to be a major issue, but the statistics
clearly show that anyone working with a latter should consider the important safety
aspects that may save them from injury or death. Ladders come in variety of shapes,
sizes, and materials. There are portable wood ladders and metal ladders, also
platform ladders, Trestle ladders, and many more. Each type of ladder has its own
strengths and weaknesses and thus each may have different risk assessments and
safety guidance. However, the most important thing to understand about working
with a ladder is when you can use it; which is where the work is light and short,
entailing no more than 30 minutes in one position.
2. Take note of any hazards in your work environment such as the weather, ground,
and height.
3. Always secure your ladder by tying the base/midway/top stiles onto a strong &
stable structure.
5. Remember the three points of contact rule: always maintain one hand – two
feet or two hands – one foot when you are climbing or descending. Mind your hand
free from carriage and always face the ladder.
While the quick tips above can help with safety and lessen the risk when using a
ladder, they are not necessarily enough to prevent an emergency from occurring.
What if an unpredictable slip or fall occurs? Those whose profession involves
frequently working at height and/or with ladders may want to consider using
additional safety equipment such as a fall arrest system as a further safeguard.
Samson Tiara can provide essential training for those who frequently work at height.
Our two day Working at Heights course can provide you or your workers with the
proper understanding and skills required to work safely at height, how to identify
emergency situations, and how to use various types of fall protection equipment and
rescue techniques when needed. Participants will go through both theoretical and
practical exercises to ensure their competence to do their jobs and safely return to
the ground.
EHS Today. CDC: There’s Nothing ‘Easy’ About Falling Off a Ladder
http://ehstoday.com/construction/cdc-there-s-nothing-easy-about-falling-ladder
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