More than 2,000 people per day are injured during improper ladder use, and the industry is taking major steps to reduce that number.
The American Ladder Institute has declared March as Ladder Safety Month, and businesses such Little Giant Ladder Systems are providing resources to promote the cause.
“It’s better to build a fence at the top of a cliff than to park an ambulance at the bottom,” said Art Wing, chairman and president of Little Giant Ladder Systems. “Better training and innovation in ladder safety will help organizations save time, money, and most importantly, lives. “
Little Giant Ladder Systems’ free safety trainings, social media platforms and education tools will help prevent people from becoming industry statistics.
The company has produced YouTube videos such as “Stepladder Safety: What It's All About” to demonstrate hazards such as using the top rung or not considering the additional weight of tools or work clothing before ladder use.
“The numbers are shocking. Every day 2,000 people are injured while using ladders;100 suffer a long-term or permanent disability and tragically, one person dies—every day,” said Ryan Moss, CEO of Little Giant Ladder Systems and president of the American Ladder Institute. “For many companies, ladder-related incidents are the single greatest injury and lost-time expense. Continuing education and providing state-of-the-art ladder innovation are the best ways companies can reduce, and in many cases, prevent ladder accidents.”
View “Stepladder Safety: What It's All About” below to see how workers are breaking OSHA and ANSI rules by climbing past the highest-recommended step to the top rung or top cap.